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.


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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


US daily case average surges past 750,000 following weekend data dump

On average, the U.S. is now reporting more than 750,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, a more than sixfold increase compared to one month ago, according to federal data.

On Monday, the U.S. recorded a single-day high of more than 1.4 million new cases, following soaring demand for tests and a backlog of weekend reporting data.

The surging national case numbers may not be indicative of what is happening in every region of the country and the overall increase in the U.S. does not necessarily mean that some regions will not see a plateau or decline in numbers.

Although the incredibly high case totals are most certainly due, in large part, to the country's latest omicron surge, the data is incredibly volatile on a day-to-day level. Many states no longer report data over the weekends, which can create an illusion of very low totals on weekends and very high daily numbers on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Also, there was a major surge in demand over the holidays, which could artificially increase numbers. However, experts say overall totals are likely undercounted given the increased use of at-home COVID-19 testing.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos