COVID-19 updates: 345 children currently hospitalized with coronavirus in Texas

That number was up from 282 on Thursday.

The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 643,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 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 61.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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Rev. Jesse Jackson's wife out of ICU

Jacqueline Jackson, the wife of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, is out of the ICU as both Jacksons continue to fight COVID-19, their family said.

"Our father remains at The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where he is continuing to receive intensive occupational and physical therapy," their son, Jonathan Jackson, said in a statement Tuesday.

Jesse Jackson, who is 79 and has Parkinson's disease, was vaccinated, reported ABC Chicago station WLS.

"Our mother remains in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital and has been moved out of the ICU and back into her regular hospital room where she continues to receive oxygen," the statement said. "Both of our parents are continuing to receive excellent medical care and we thank God for the progress that both seem to be making."


Vaccination rate nearly double than it was in mid-July

The U.S. vaccination rate per day is now nearly double than it was in mid-July, according to the White House.

"Back in mid-July we were averaging 500,000 vaccinations per day. Today, we’re averaging 900,000," White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Tuesday. "Last week we got over 6 million shots, the biggest weekly total since July 5."

The increase in vaccinations comes amid fear about the rapidly spreading delta variant.

The delta variant, which is more transmissible, has also been part of the conversation around booster shots of the mRNA and J&J vaccines. The Biden administration said Americans would need a third shot eight months after their second because of waning immunity.

The Biden administration is standing by its decision to call for vaccine boosters beginning Sept. 20 despite questions about whether there's enough data and the unusual process of announcing a plan before the FDA has evaluated the data and made a recommendation.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett


Only 4 adult ICU beds left in Idaho: Governor

Idaho only has four adult ICU beds available in the state, Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday.

The governor said he toured a nearly-full ICU in Boise where everyone was unvaccinated.

"What I saw was heartbreaking," Little said at a news conference. "I was told the average age of the patients was 43. All of them were struggling to breathe and most were only breathing with the help of a machine. Doctors, nurses and associated medical staff are exhausted."

The governor said up to 370 additional staff, including up to 150 National Guardsmen, will be deployed to help short-staffed hospitals manage the surge.


Google extends work from home policy

Google is extending its work from home policy until Jan. 10, 2022.

"Googlers will only be expected to return at that time as it’s deemed safe to do so in their country, and will be given 30 days notice to prepare before the voluntary WFH period ends," the company said.

Google is also allowing employees to temporarily work from a location other than their main officer for up to four weeks per year.

-ABC News' Taylor Dunn


CDC estimates 83% of US blood donors have been vaccinated or previously infected

A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 83% of blood donors in the nation have either been vaccinated against COVID-19 or were previously infected with the virus.

This, however, does not mean that more than 80% of Americans are immune from infection. That's because neither vaccination nor prior infection provides 100% protection -- antibodies are just one part of the overall immune response, and immunity wanes over time. The analysis also may overestimate the portion of people with antibodies because blood donors may be more likely to be vaccinated or have previously been infected.

The study, posted online Tuesday by JAMA Network Open, a monthly open access medical journal published by the American Medical Association, took a snapshot of the presence of antibodies from COVID-19 vaccination or prior infection in about 1.4 million donated blood samples from across the United States. The repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted each month during July 2020 through May 2021, before delta became the predominant variant of the novel coronavirus in the U.S.

The study shows that the number of blood donors who tested positive for antibodies, indicating either vaccination or prior infection, has gone up over time, from 3.5% in July 2020 to 20.2% for infection-induced antibodies and 83.3% for both infection- and vaccine-induced antibodies in May 2021.

Being vaccinated offers better protection compared to prior infection, and it's recommended that people who have previously contracted COVID-19 should still get inoculated.

-ABC News' Katie Bosland and Sony Salzman