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COVID-19 live updates: Judge rules Florida governor stop banning mask mandates in schools
Ten Florida school districts have adopted mask mandates for students this month.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 634,000 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 60.8% 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:
Florida still threatening school districts over mask mandates
Despite a court ruling Friday ordering Florida to stop enforcing a ban on school mask mandates, the state's education commissioner has since told eight school districts that they must drop their mandates by Wednesday or potentially face sanctions.
The districts notified on Friday -- which include Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Orange -- adopted mask requirements this month but had yet to hear from the state about repercussions.
In letters sent to leaders of the eight districts, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said he was opening investigations and threatened to withhold the salaries of school board members if the districts didn't reverse their mandates by Wednesday.
Two other districts have already been sanctioned by the state board of education.
State officials have said they plan to appeal Friday's ruling "immediately."
-ABC News' Will McDuffie
14 portable morgues headed to central Florida hospitals
As Florida continues to battle a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, 14 portable morgues are headed to central Florida hospitals.
ABC News confirmed the order with Lynne Drawdy, executive director of the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition, which is sending the coolers.
Each portable morgue can hold up to 12 bodies, Drawdy told ABC Orlando affiliate WFTV.
The coolers will go to hospitals across central Florida, as some have reached morgue capacity due to an influx of COVID-19 patients, and are expected to arrive by Monday, according to WFTV.
Delta more likely to lead to hospitalization among unvaccinated than alpha: Study
A new peer-reviewed study estimates that the delta variant doubles the risk of being hospitalized if you're unvaccinated compared to the alpha variant.
The study -- an analysis of more than 40,000 COVID-19 cases from the United Kingdom -- primarily included unvaccinated people, so the findings don't apply to vaccinated people with breakthrough infections.
Vaccines dramatically reduce the risk of hospitalization and death for both the alpha and delta variants.
-ABC News' Sony Salzman
7 Southern states have ICUs over 90% full
Seven states, all in the South, have intensive care units over 90% full, according to federal data: Alabama (100%), Florida (94.98%), Georgia (94.68%), Louisiana (90.15%), Mississippi (92.07%), Oklahoma (91.68%), and Texas (93.86%).
The U.S. is continuing to experience its steepest and most significant increase in hospitalizations in seven months, according to federal data. On Wednesday alone, more than 12,800 patients were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, marking the highest number of patients seeking care over the span of 24 hours since January.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Another Florida school district issues mask mandate
Leaders of the Orange County public school system voted Tuesday to require a mask mandate for all students and staff.
The rule goes into effect on Aug. 30 and will last for at least two months. There will be exemptions for medical reasons.
School board members cited the growing COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations in the area as the reason for their decision.