US reports highest weekly COVID-19 vaccinations since July 4
There were over 7 million shots in the past week, an official said Saturday.
The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
More than 712,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 66% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.
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US reports highest weekly vaccinations since July 4, White House says
The United States has administered the highest number of weekly vaccinations since early July, a White House official said.
There were more than 7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses reported in the past week, the highest seven-day total since July 4, White House COVID-19 data director Dr. Cyrus Shahpar said on Twitter Saturday.
The uptick comes amid a push for employee vaccinations and the rollout of booster shots.
Over 76% of people ages 12 and up in the U.S. have gotten at least one dose.
Spirit Airlines to require vaccines for employees
Spirit Airlines is joining other major carriers and will soon require all employees to be vaccinated. A deadline for the vaccination requirement has not been announced.
Delta is now the only major carrier to not have an employee vaccine mandate. However, in November the airline will begin charging unvaccinated employees an additional $200 per month for health insurance.
-ABC News' Sam Sweeney
Cases, hospitalizations see major drop
The daily case average in the U.S. has dropped to 95,000, a 38.9% drop in the last month, according to federal data.
The states that were first hit by the delta surge are experiencing the most notable case declines. In the last month, the seven-day average of new cases in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana fell by more than 55%.
Other states, however, are just now bearing the brunt of the highly infectious delta variant. West Virginia, Alaska and Montana are all still experiencing significant surges, according to federal data.
National hospitalization levels have dropped to around 67,000 patients, federal data show. Since the beginning of September, the U.S. has seen a drop of more than 37,000 patients. A little more than one-third of those patients -- 13,000 -- come from Florida.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
CDC committee to meet on Moderna, J&J boosters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent advisory committee plans to meet on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 to discuss the Moderna and Johnson &Johnson vaccine boosters. This will follow the Food and Drug Administration's independent advisers who are set to meet and vote on boosters on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.
That means Moderna and J&J boosters could be authorized, recommended and available as soon as Oct. 22.
The CDC committee is also set to meet on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 to discuss pediatric vaccinations.
-ABC News' Eric M. Strauss