The global number of COVID-19 cases and deaths are now increasing for the first time in two months, largely driven by an ongoing rise in Europe that outweighs declines in other regions, W.H.O. Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday.

The highest case increases in the last two weeks were in the Czech Republic (up by 234%), Hungary (up by 200%) and Poland (up by 183%), according to the W.H.O.

The director-general attributed ongoing infections "in large part" to inequitable access to tests and vaccines.

"Eighty-times more tests, and 30 times more vaccines, have been administered in high-income countries than low-income countries," Tedros said. "If the 6.8 billion vaccine doses administered globally so far had been distributed equitably, we would have reached our 40% target in every country by now."

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

Hospital admissions have fallen by about 55% since late August, according to federal data.

But five states have seen at least a 15% increase in hospital admissions over the last two weeks: Alaska (21.7%), Colorado (15.9%), Maine (35.3%), New Hampshire (38.9%) and New Mexico (19.6%).

Alaska currently has the country's highest infection rate, followed by Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Idaho.

The U.S. reported approximately 1,600 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday alone. Deaths are about 1.5 times higher in non-metropolitan areas than in metropolitan areas, according to federal data.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Colorado's available number of ICU beds is at the lowest point of the pandemic following a dramatic spike in hospitalizations and the winding down of extra beds added in the last surge.

Colorado currently has 1,191 COVID-19 patients, according to state data, and 29% of hospitals anticipate an ICU bed shortage in the next week. 

State health officials told ABC News that hospitals in El Paso County have turned away transfer requests over the lack of beds.

“We are continuing to move very much in the wrong direction,” Scott Bookman, the state’s COVID-19 chief, said at a briefing.

-ABC News' Jeff Cook

New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Wednesday he's preparing to make major operational changes next week as significant portion of the city's firefighters and EMS personnel haven't complied with the city's vaccine mandate.

"We will use all means at our disposal, including mandatory overtime, mutual aid from other EMS providers, and significant changes to the schedules of our members," he said in a statement.

The mandate for all New York City public employees will go into effect at the end of day Friday. The FDNY said that 65% of its members were vaccinated as of Wednesday.

An FDNY official told ABC News that by Monday fire and ambulance services could be reduced by as much as 20%.

FDNY leadership has held virtual meetings with uniformed staff explaining the vaccine mandate and imploring them to comply, and will continue doing so throughout the week, the official said.

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky

Moderna announced Sunday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring additional time to review its adolescent COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds.

The FDA expects to have the review done by January 2022.

Moderna is authorized in the U.S. for people 18 and older. The company has asked for authorization for 12- to 17-year-olds at the same dose as adults, which is 100 micrograms.

The Pfizer vaccine is currently available to anyone 12 years and old and could be available soon for 5- to 11-year-olds after it gets official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

-ABC News Eric Strauss