Aug 17, 2021, 8:13 PM EDT
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott not experiencing symptoms after positive COVID-19 test, he tweeted Tuesday.
Jesse Jackson, wife hospitalized with COVID-19
The civil rights pioneer was vaccinated in January.
Last Updated: August 23, 2021, 7:23 AM EDT
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 59.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
- Aug 23, 2021, 4:43 AM EDT
- Aug 22, 2021, 3:15 PM EDT
- Aug 21, 2021, 7:56 PM EDT
- Aug 20, 2021, 3:54 PM EDT
Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 17, 2021, 6:52 PM EDT
Hundreds of patients waiting for hospital beds in Texas
Patients in one region of Texas are experiencing extraordinarily long waits for hospital beds as COVID-19 continues to spread through the state.
Patients in southeast Texas, which includes Houston and the surrounding areas, are waiting in ambulances, hallways and more holding spaces for hospital beds to free up, Houston officials announced at a press briefing Tuesday.
Of the 678 patients holding in area emergency rooms with general admission orders, 265 of them have been infected with the virus, according the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council.
The ratio of patients who tested positive with COVID-19 is even worse for ICU admissions. Of the 112 patients in holding area emergency rooms who need an ICU bed, 75 have the virus, according to SETRAC.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri
Aug 17, 2021, 4:57 PM EDT
Texas governor tests positive
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced.
Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images, FILE
The governor is fully vaccinated and has no symptoms, his office said, adding that he's been tested daily.
Abbott is receiving Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment, his office said.
"Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with today has been notified," his office said.
Abbott has banned mask and vaccination mandates in Texas.
According to The Houston Chronicle, the governor gave a speech Monday night to a crowd of about 600 people where there was little social distancing or mask-wearing.
Aug 17, 2021, 4:29 PM EDT
Hospitalizations could reach 32,800 per day by Sept. 1: Forecast
The U.S. could see as many as 32,800 hospitalizations per day by Sept. 13, according to the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst, which is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The low end of the forecast is 9,000 per day.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Currently, more than 11,249 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 each day in the U.S., up from a daily average of 8,300 last week.
These forecasts suggest Florida, Louisiana and Texas hospitalizations may improve in coming weeks while other states, like California and New York, may see more hospitalizations.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
-ABC News' Brian Hartman
