COVID-19 updates: Austria orders nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated residents
The lockdown for unvaccinated residents began at midnight on Monday.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 763,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 68.8% 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.
Latest headlines:
LA's vaccine mandate goes into effect
Los Angeles' new vaccine mandate goes into effect Monday, requiring proof of vaccination to enter most public indoor spaces, including: any establishments where food or beverages are served; gyms and fitness venues; entertainment and recreation venues; personal care establishments; and buildings owned or operated by the city.
The mandate also requires proof of vaccination for large outdoor events with 5,000 or more attendees.
Enforcement will begin on Nov. 29.
-ABC News' Catherine Thorbecke
Regeneron monoclonal antibody lowers COVID risk by nearly 82%, company says
Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment can lower the risk of contracting COVID-19 by nearly 82% for up to eight months, the company said.
Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment, given as an intravenous infusion or a subcutaneous injection, is already FDA-authorized as a way to prevent COVID-19 among people who have recently been exposed and are considered "high risk" for more serious illness. This new data shows that when given as preventative measure, it dramatically reduces the risk of infection for up to eight months.
Regeneron and the FDA say that vaccination is the best way to prevent infection and serious illness. However, Regeneron's antibody treatment can be a good option for people who are immune compromised or haven't mounted an adequate immune response through the vaccine.
-ABC News' Sony Salzman, Sasha Pezenik
US reopens borders to vaccinated travelers
The U.S. reopened borders to vaccinated travelers on Monday after 20 months of being closed to many countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, India, South Africa and most of Europe.
In January, as the vaccine was distributed on both sides of the Atlantic, the ban was kept in place, with the Biden administration stating concerns about the delta variant.
On Oct. 20, the Biden administration announced it was lifting the ban on vaccinated travelers.
The ban, which only applies to vaccinated travelers, still excludes many countries where the vaccine is not yet easily available or recognized by the U.S.
-ABC News' Zoe Chevalier
Global COVID-19 cases top 250 million in under 2 years
The worldwide number of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 surpassed 250 million on Monday, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
The United States, India and Brazil account for about a third of the recorded cases, Johns Hopkins data shows.
The grim milestone came as some countries in Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine and Greece, grapple with record levels of newly reported cases.
The pandemic began less than two years ago after the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Aaron Rodgers: 'To anybody who felt misled … I take full responsibility'
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he takes full responsibility for anyone who felt misled by his comments about his vaccination status.
“I do realize I am a role model," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show" Tuesday. "I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading. And to anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments."
Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week and is not vaccinated, said Friday that he wasn't hiding his vaccination status, even though he told reporters in August, "I've been immunized."
Rodgers also said Friday that he's allergic to an ingredient in mRNA vaccines.
He added, "I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body."
Rodgers said Tuesday that he's heard from the team and coaching staff and that he hopes to join meetings via Zoom ahead of Sunday's game. Rodgers added that there is a "small possibility" he doesn't play on Sunday.
Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told ABC News in September that severe allergies to the vaccines are extremely uncommon and are experienced by less than one in 1 million people, according to health data.
The CDC said: "If you have had a severe allergic reaction or an immediate allergic reaction -- even if it was not severe -- to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, you should not get either of the currently available mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. ... If you aren’t able to get one type of COVID-19 vaccine because you are allergic to an ingredient in that vaccine, ask your doctor if you should get a different type of COVID-19 vaccine."
Dr. Jeff Linder, chief of general internal medicine and geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told ABC News in September that research so far shows that severe allergic reactions are likely triggered by polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a component of the vaccines.
"An allergy to that is pretty rare," Linder added. "It would have to be documented, as a moderate or severe allergy, before I would consider giving a medical exemption."