COVID-19 updates: Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico leading nation in cases
Michigan has the highest infection rate, followed by Minnesota and New Mexico.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.1 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 771,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 69% 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:
2.6 million kids to be vaccinated by end of day: White House
Nearly 10% of the 28 million eligible 5- to 11-year-olds will be partially vaccinated by the end of Wednesday, White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients said at a White House briefing.
The kids vaccine program has been operational for about 10 days.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
27 states see at least 10% jump in daily cases
The Northeast and Midwest have seen the greatest increase in cases and hospitalizations as the weather gets colder and people head indoors, according to federal data.
Twenty states have reported at least a 10% increase in hospital admissions over the last week: Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Twenty-seven states have seen at least a 10% jump in daily cases over the last two weeks: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Kansas, Maine offering boosters to all adults
All fully vaccinated adults in Kansas and Maine can now get a booster if it's been six months since their Pfizer or Moderna dose or two months since their Johnson & Johnson shot, the governors said.
“Expanding access to booster shots will help us put an end to this deadly pandemic," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement.
Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said, "Given the high level of COVID-19 transmission occurring in Maine, we want Maine people to be clear that all adults are now eligible for a booster."
Booster eligibility has been expanded to all adults in several other states, including New York, New Jersey, Arkansas and Colorado.
US deaths not expected to decline in weeks to come
For the first time in more than two months, U.S. death rates are not predicted to decline in the weeks to come.
Forecast models used by the CDC are predicting that weekly death totals will likely remain stable or have an unknown trend in the next four weeks, with thousands more Americans expected to lose their lives by early December.
The model -- from the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at UMass Amherst -- expects around 14,400 more virus-related deaths in the U.S. over next two weeks, with a total of around 791,100 American lives lost by Dec. 11.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Disney Cruise Line to require guests ages 5 and up be vaccinated
Disney Cruise Line said it will require all passengers ages 5 and up to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 starting next year.
Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of their age will have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken between three days and 24 hours their sail date.
"We are resuming sailing in a gradual, phased approach that emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures, considering guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other medical experts," Disney Cruise Line said Wednesday in an updated policy on its website. "Under this guidance, we’ve reimagined your cruise experience so we all can enjoy the magic responsibly."
The vaccine mandate will take effect Jan. 13 and will apply to sailings both in the United States and abroad.
Currently, passengers ages 12 and older as well as all crew members must be fully vaccinated, while unvaccinated guests ages 5 to 11 must take a pre-departure COVID-19 test.