COVID updates: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tests positive
He said he has mild symptoms and will be quarantining for five days.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 825,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
US daily case average nearly triples in 1 month
More than 84,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 -- a 40,000 jump over the last seven weeks, according to federal data.
In the last month, federal data shows the nation's daily case average has nearly tripled.
A soaring demand for tests and a backlog of holiday reporting drove Monday's case total to 440,000 -- the nation's highest one-day total ever, according to federal data.
While this high reflects the latest omicron surge, it's also very likely skewed due to a backlog in reporting over the Christmas weekend and an increase in demand for tests.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Decision on boosters for kids 12-15 could be made in 'days to weeks ahead'
The FDA and CDC could decide on boosters for children ages 12 to 15 in "the days to weeks ahead," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told CNN's "New Day" Wednesday.
The CDC authorized the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds on May 12, meaning some of those kids are now over six months past their second dose, which was when boosters were recommended for adults.
Walensky also noted that vaccine manufacturers are working to acquire data for children under the age of five, but an authorization "will not be in the month ahead."
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Vaccine mandate for domestic air travel not being considered now: CDC
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told NPR that a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel is not currently under consideration.
"Domestic flights has been a topic of conversation, but that is not something we're revisiting right now," Walensky said Tuesday.
This comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday that a vaccine requirement for domestic air travel should be "seriously" considered.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
France sets new daily case record
France recorded more than 208,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, setting a new daily case record, Health Minister Olivier Véran said.
By that tally, "every second, two French people" have tested positive, Véran said.
-ABC News' Ibtissem Guenfoud
Avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status, CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Americans to avoid cruises regardless of COVID vaccination status.
On Thursday, the CDC raised the health notice from a level 3 to a level 4, which is the highest level.
"Since the identification of the omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to CDC," the agency wrote. "Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of cruise ships meeting the COVID-19 case threshold for CDC investigation."
More than 80 cruise ships are currently being investigated or observed by the CDC after reports of COVID outbreaks on board.
In response, the Cruise Lines International Association -- the largest cruise trade association -- called the CDC's new warning "particularly perplexing" and said cases on ships "consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard."
ABC News' Alexandra Faul, Mina Kaji and Sam Sweeney