'Steady increase' in vaccines in past month, White House says
The U.S. saw its largest single-day increase in nearly nine months Friday.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 613,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 57.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC on Tuesday, citing new science on the transmissibility of the delta variant, changed its mask guidance to now recommend everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission -- vaccinated or not -- wear a face covering in public, indoor settings.
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- 6 passengers test positive on cruise ship
Florida gov. says parents can decide if their kids wear masks in school
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that parents in the state can decide if their children will wear masks in school, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation this week that students wear masks.
DeSantis called the CDC’s guidance a "callous disregard for the physical, emotional and academic well-being of our children."
DeSantis said, "Very soon I'll be signing an executive order which directs the Florida Department of Education and the Department of Health to issue emergency rules protecting the rights of parents to make this decision about wearing masks for their children."
The governor added that his children will not wear masks in school.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
US sees highest number of newly vaccinated people since July 1
Of the more than 857,000 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. on Thursday, 563,000 were newly vaccinated people -- the highest number since July 1, Cyrus Shahpar, the White House's COVID-19 data director, tweeted Friday.
Over 190 million Americans have now had at least one dose, accounting for 69.6% of adults, he tweeted.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
6 passengers test positive on cruise ship
Six passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas ship have tested positive for COVID-19 during routine testing, the cruise line said Friday.
Four of the passengers -- who were not traveling together -- are vaccinated. The other two are unvaccinated minors who were traveling together, the cruise line said.
One person has mild symptoms. The other five have no symptoms, the cruise line said.
"The guests were immediately quarantined, and their immediate travel party and all close contacts were traced and all tested negative," Royal Caribbean said. "Each guest and their immediate travel parties disembarked in Freeport, The Bahamas, and separately traveled home via private transportation."
This cruise started in the Bahamas on July 25. Everyone over 16 must be fully vaccinated and test negative before boarding, the cruise line said.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Broadway audiences must be vaccinated
As Broadway gears up for its return in September, the Broadway League announced Friday that everyone attending a show must be vaccinated and wear a mask.
Guests will need to show proof of vaccination when they enter the theater.
This rule applies through October 2021 and may change in November.
All performers, staff and backstage crew also must be vaccinated.