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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LA passes vaccine mandate for indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, malls and more
Los Angeles' city council passed an ordinance requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours for indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, malls, entertainment venues and personal care establishments. Grocery stores and pharmacies are not included.
The ordinance passed with 11 votes, short of the 12 votes need to pass with an urgency clause allowing it to take effect immediately. The mandate will go into effect Nov. 4
-ABC News' Kaylee Hartung
Nurse Sandra Lindsay, 1st to get vaccine in US, gets booster
New York nurse Sandra Lindsay, the first person in the U.S. to get a COVID-19 vaccine outside a clinical trial, received her Pfizer booster dose Wednesday at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.
Lindsay was joined by other health care workers who also got their first shots in December.
White House to announce $1 billion purchase of rapid at-home tests
The Biden administration is set to announce Wednesday that it's buying another $1 billion of rapid at-home tests, on top of the $2 billion investment in September.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients is expected to make the announcement at the afternoon COVID-19 briefing.
With this new purchase, combined with September's investment and the FDA approval of the ACON rapid test money, the White House says the U.S. is now on track to quadruple the number of rapid at-home tests available to Americans in December.
A White House official emphasized that this is not just about more tests on the market, but more affordable tests on the market.
-ABC News' Karen Travers
Hospital admissions on the decline
Daily hospital admissions have dropped by 14.6% in the last week, according to federal data.
Even so, ICU capacities remain at critical levels in several states. In Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho and Texas, about 10% or less space is available.
About 70,000 Americans are currently in hospitals with COVID-19.
Alaska currently has the country's highest infection rate, followed by Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho, according to federal data.
Despite high vaccination rates in the Northeast, infection levels in Maine are reaching peak-pandemic records, while case numbers in New Hampshire and Vermont are steadily inching up.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Hospitalizations drop but deaths remain high
Hospitalizations in the U.S. have dropped from 104,000 to about 69,000 over the last five weeks, according to federal data.
More than a third of the drop was in Florida, where there are about 13,000 fewer patients compared to just over one month ago.
Daily COVID-19-related hospital admissions are also down nationally by 13.6% in the last week, according to federal data.
But states like Alaska and West Virginia, are still experiencing record-breaking surges, while Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Idaho and Texas still have ICU capacities near 10%.
Overnight, the U.S. reported nearly 2,000 COVID-19 related fatalities.
Around 1,400 virus-related deaths are being reported each day, which is nearly 7.5 times higher than in mid-July, according to federal data.
Texas is reporting thousands of deaths each week.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos