Nearly 600 patients wait for hospital beds in Houston as city sees surge in COVID cases
According to the CDC, 46% of Texans have been fully vaccinated.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 620,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.3 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 59.1% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi reporting most cases ever
As the delta variant surges throughout the U.S., states including Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana and Mississippi are now averaging more daily cases than at any point in the pandemic.
Overnight, the U.S. recorded its highest single-day total since January, with over 130,000 new cases, according to federal data.
About 91% of counties in the nation now have high or substantial community transmission.
Nearly 9,700 patients are being admitted to hospitals each day, up by 31.3% in the last week and marking the highest number of patients seeking care since February, federal data shows.
As of Aug. 7, Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 made up more than 40% of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
San Francisco announces vaccine requirement for patrons, staff
Proof of vaccination will soon be required for patrons and staff at San Francisco's bars, restaurants, clubs and gyms, Mayor London Breed announced. Patrons must be vaccinated as of Aug. 20 and staff by Oct. 13.
Vaccines will also be required for certain health care providers, including workers at adult day centers, residential care facilities, dental offices, home health aides and pharmacists. This goes into effect Oct. 13.
San Francisco already has a 71% vaccination rate, according to government data.
Biden says he stands with officials defying state mandates barring masks in schools
President Joe Biden said he stands with the local leaders in Texas and Florida who are implementing masks in classrooms despite orders from their governors banning mask mandates in schools.
"To the mayors, school superintendents, educators, local leaders, who are standing up to the governors politicizing mask protection for our kids, thank you," he said Thursday. "Thank God that we have heroes like you. And I stand with you all, and America should as well."
Biden said "there are a lot of people" trying to turn masks in schools into a "political dispute," but that these protections are about "keeping children safe" and "isn’t about politics."
-ABC News' Justin Ryan Gomez
Florida has more cases than 30 states combined
In the last week, "Florida has had more COVID-19 cases than all 30 states with the lowest case rates combined," White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients said at Thursday's White House briefing.
He added, "Florida and Texas alone have accounted for nearly 40% of new hospitalizations across the country."
But the surge is driving up vaccinations and he said the most significant vaccine progress is in states with the most COVID-19 cases.
"In the past month, we've nearly tripled the average number of shots each day in Arkansas and quadrupled in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi," Zients said.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett