COVID-19 updates: LA has highest daily death total since April
There are over 4,300 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 849,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.9% 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:
- LA has 66 COVID deaths in 1 day, highest daily death total since April
- Cloth masks provide 'least protection,' CDC says
- Free test website to launch Wednesday
- Hospitalizations and pediatric hospitalizations at all-time highs
- Over 200 scientists, doctors sign letter in support of Fauci
- Biden: White House now trying to acquire 1 billion tests
White House considering making high-quality masks available to all
The White House is considering making "more high-quality masks" available to all Americans, according to White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients.
"We're in the process right now of strongly considering options to make more high-quality masks available to all Americans," he said at Wednesday's briefing.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
Rhode Island reporting nation's highest new case rate, California reaches pandemic case high
Deaths in the U.S. are on the rise. The average now stands at more than 1,600 new COVID-19-related fatalities each day -- up by about 48% in the last two weeks, according to federal data.
Out of the 3,220 U.S. counties, just 26 counties are not reporting high transmission, according to federal data.
In the last week alone, the U.S. has reported more than 5.2 million new cases -- that averages out to nearly nine Americans testing positive for COVID-19 every second.
Rhode Island is reporting the nation's highest new case rate, while California is now averaging more than 100,000 new cases every day -- a pandemic high for the Golden State.
But, according to experts, the surging national case numbers may not be indicative of what is happening in every region, and the nation's overall continued increase does not necessarily mean that some areas will not see a decline.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
91% less risk of death with omicron: Study
At Wednesday's White House briefing Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked if people are protected from getting omicron again, and he said the information isn't available yet.
But CDC director Rochelle Walensky outlined a study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California that showed, compared to delta, omicron had a 53% reduction in adjusted risk of symptomatic hospitalization, a 74% reduction in adjusted risk of ICU admission and a 91% reduction in adjusted risk of death.
"The data in this study remain consistent with what we are seeing from omicron in other countries, including South Africa and the U.K., and provide some understanding of what we can expect over the coming weeks as cases are predicted to peak in this country," Walensky said.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
CDC will update mask 'information' but won't tell Americans which ones to wear
At Wednesday's White House briefing, when asked about changing the CDC's mask guidance CDC director Rochelle Walensky said the guidance won't change but the CDC will update its website to reflect which masks work best, without telling Americans which one to wear.
"CDC continues to recommend that any mask is better than no mask and we do encourage all Americans to wear a well-fitting mask to protect themselves and prevent the spread of COVID 19. And that recommendation is not going to change," Walensky said.
"We are preparing an update to the information on our mask website to best reflect the options that are available … and the different levels of protection different masks provide. And we want to provide Americans the best and most updated information to choose what mask is going to be right for them," she said.
"The best mask that you wear is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long that you can tolerate in public indoor settings and tolerate where you need to wear it," Walensky said. "We will provide information on improved filtration and that occurs with other masks such as N95s and information that the public needs about how to make a choice, which mask is the right one for them. But most importantly, we want to highlight the best mask for you as the one that you can wear comfortably."
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
Chicago Teachers Union votes to end work stoppage
The Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates voted Monday to end the work stoppage, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a press conference.
Lightfoot said teachers will be back on Tuesday, and students will return on Wednesday.
"To the parents, we heard you. We will never, never, not have you at the table with us in the future. No one wins when our students aren't where they can learn their best," she said.
She explained that city officials and the CTU reached an agreement on when a school will go remote.
"Teachers are so important to who our young people become. That's not what this was about. We love our teachers and continue to support our teachers," Lightfoot added. "I will always be on the side of our children and their families."
The news of the work stoppage comes after Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest district, canceled classes for a fourth day Monday amid negotiations with the teachers’ union over remote learning and COVID-19 safety protocols.
"The Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates has voted tonight to suspend the Union's remote work action while rank-and-file membership votes on the proposed agreement," CTU tweeted Monday night.