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.
Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 18, 2021, 12:36 PM EDT
All but 2 states reporting high community transmission
All but two states -- New Hampshire and Vermont -- are reporting high community transmission, according to federal data.
U.S. hospitalizations are now at the highest point in over six months, with more than 91,000 COVID-19 patients currently in hospitals, according to federal data. More than 11,200 patients are being admitted to the hospital each day, the most since January.
Pediatric COVID-19 related admissions per capita have climbed to the highest point of the pandemic and are now nearly six times higher than on July 4.
Wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, elementary school student line up to enter school for the first day of classes in Richardson, Texas, Aug. 17, 2021.
Lm Otero/AP
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Aug 18, 2021, 11:53 AM EDT
Delta likely contributed to vaccine's waning protection: Murthy
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced at Wednesday's White House briefing, "Having reviewed the most current data, it is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID-19 boosters is now."
A pharmacist prepares a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, Calif., Jan. 8, 2021.
Orange County Register via Getty Images, FILE
Murthy said protection against mild disease has decreased, likely a combination of waning vaccine protection over time and the strength of the delta variant, and that the administration is "concerned" that protection could continue to erode.
"Even though this new data affirms that vaccine protection remains high against the worst outcomes of COVID, we are concerned that this pattern of decline we're seeing will continue in the months ahead, which could lead to reduced protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death," Murthy said.
"That is why, today, we are announcing our plan to stay ahead of this virus by being prepared to offer COVID-19 booster shots to fully vaccinated adults 18 years and older," Murthy said. "They would be eligible for their booster shot eight months after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Modern mRNA vaccines."
The boosters are set to begin Sept. 20, but Murthy emphasized that this is pending FDA authorization and also reiterated that does not yet apply to J&J recipients.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslet
Aug 18, 2021, 11:27 AM EDT
How New York City botched COVID-19 response: Report
New York City botched its COVID-19 response, according to an investigation conducted by Scott Stringer, the city's comptroller, who released findings from his inquiry Wednesday.
According to Stringer, key emergency response agencies, including the health department and the NYPD, were intentionally excluded from communications and decision-making "when time was of the essence."
The comptroller also described persistent confusion about the chain of command between agencies and a significantly delayed response to the pandemic.
Officials waited until late February to even begin planning for a worst-case scenario, despite knowing about the impending crisis in January. Stringer called on the mayor, as well as the future mayor, to conduct a thorough review of the city's emergency planning process.
"We cannot erase the mistakes of the past," he said. "But we can make sure we are prepared for future emergencies."
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
Aug 18, 2021, 11:14 AM EDT
mRNA vaccine efficacy dropped 'significantly' among nursing home residents: CDC
A new CDC analysis found that Pfizer and Moderna vaccine efficacy dropped "significantly" among nursing home residents from March to July, as the delta variant became the predominant strain in the United States.
A syringe is filled with a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccination clinic during a back to school event at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles, Aug. 7, 2021.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Researchers analyzed weekly reports from thousands of nursing home facilities in the U.S. and found that mRNA vaccines were roughly 75% effective against preventing any infection in late winter/early spring of 2021, early in the mass vaccination rollout and prior to the emergence of the delta variant. By summer of this year, effectiveness against any infection had dropped to 53%.
Crucially, this doesn't mean vaccines aren't working for nursing home residents, but the significant drop in effectiveness from March to July may support the use of booster doses for them, according to the CDC report.
A second analysis found that the mRNA vaccines are holding up well against hospitalizations for COVID-19. The research, which was conducted across 21 U.S. hospitals, found that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines remained between 84% and 86% effective against potential hospitalizations from March to July of this year. A third analysis, conducted in New York State, found that all three authorized vaccines remained more than 90% effective at preventing hospitalization from early May to late June.
