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
Maine, Massachusetts activate more National Guard members
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he's activating 500 more National Guard members to support the state's strained health care system.
Baker had activated 250 National Guard members when students returned to classrooms in the fall to help with school transportation, ABC Boston affiliate WCVB reported.
In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills is activating up to 169 National Guard members to help overrun hospitals, ABC affiliate WMTW reported. Maine hit a hospitalization record Monday with over 400 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, according to WMTW.
New Orleans reinstates mask mandate ahead of Mardi Gras
New Orleans will reinstate its indoor mask mandate beginning Wednesday as the city gears up for Mardi Gras celebrations.
Masks will be required in restaurants, bars, gyms, entertainment venues and public transportation.
About 64.6% of New Orleans residents are fully vaccinated, according to the city.
People 5 and older must show proof of vaccination or a negative test to access indoor restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, bowling alleys, indoor playgrounds, arcades and similar settings.
Omicron estimated to account for 98% of new US cases: CDC
Omicron is estimated to account for 98.3% of new cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 8, according to new data released by CDC Tuesday. (These figures are calculated using modeling and may not be exact.)
Delta now accounts for only 1.7% of new cases nationally, forecasters estimate.
In three areas of the country -- the deep South, the Southeast and the New York/New Jersey region -- omicron is estimated to account for more than 99% of new cases.
In early December, omicron was estimated to account for just 0.6% of all new cases.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
White House limiting gatherings to 30 people due to omicron
The White House has been limiting its in-person gatherings to 30 people "over the last several weeks" due to the omicron surge, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
“We wear masks in the West Wing at all times, including in your office, unless you're in your office alone,” Psaki said.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Study finds higher risk of COVID-19 complications for unvaccinated pregnant women
Unvaccinated pregnant women with COVID-19 and their newborn babies have a higher risk of complications from the disease compared with those who are vaccinated, a new study found.
In the study, published Thursday in Nature Medicine, researchers from Public Health Scotland looked at vaccination rates and COVID-19 outcomes in 131,875 pregnant women in Scotland between Dec. 8, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021, when the delta variant was dominant.
They found that 90.9% of COVID-19 hospital admissions, 98% of intensive care admissions and all 450 newborn deaths were in unvaccinated pregnant women.
The study reiterates the importance of pregnant women getting vaccinated against the virus due to a greater risk of dangerous health complications from COVID-19. A growing body of research has shown the vaccines to be safe and effective for pregnant women.
-ABC News' Dr. Siobhan Deshauer, Sony Salzman and Dr. Alexis Carrington