Jesse Jackson, wife hospitalized with COVID-19
The civil rights pioneer was vaccinated in January.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 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 59.9% 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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Mass vaccine site for booster shots opens in Detroit
Detroit has opened a mass vaccine site for boosters at its convention center.
The TCF Center has played an integral role for Detroit residents during the pandemic, first acting as a mass testing site, a field hospital and eventually a mass vaccination site.
It is currently the only location in the city to get a third booster shot.
-ABC News’ Cherise Rudy
Medical troops headed to Louisiana for COVID-19 relief
About 20 medical troops, a group that includes doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists, are heading to an overburdened hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana, according to a statement from U.S. Army North, the military's lead organization for national COVID-19 response.
The troops are expected to arrive in the state on Wednesday, a U.S. official told ABC News.
"This is the second time Department of Defense medical assets have deployed to support Louisiana during the pandemic," said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Army North. "While COVID-19 continues to challenge the community here and elsewhere in the U.S., we remain steadfast in our support of our local, state and federal partners."
The military is sending the medical service members after receiving a request for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which itself had received a request for help from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
-ABC News' Matthew Seyler
2 Florida school districts found in violation of state’s ban on mask mandates
Two school districts in Florida were found to have violated state law by mandating masking-wearing in schools during an emergency hearing held by the Florida State Board of Education Tuesday.
Alachua County Public Schools and Broward County Public Schools were non-compliant with Florida Department of Health Emergency Rule 64DER21-12 and are now subject to punishment and the potential withholding of state funding.
More than 600 students in Alachua County have been quarantined since the start of the school year just six days ago, Dr. Carlee Simon, superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, said during the meeting.
Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools Vickie Cartwright said school administrators were concerned about the number of cases that are happening in Broward County as the delta variant spreads, especially since there were only five pediatric ICU beds available in Broward County as of Tuesday morning.
“We argue that we are exercising our constitutional responsibilities to protect our students and staff,” Simon said. “We believe this is, in quote, reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest."
All Board of Education members present at the emergency meeting voted that both school districts were in violation of the law, which "protects parents' right to make decisions regarding masking of their children in relation to COVID-19."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued in an that the board has the right to withhold state funding to schools that they find are "unwilling or unable to comply with the law.”
No punishment was specified for the schools during the emergency meeting.
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott not experiencing symptoms after positive COVID-19 test, he tweeted Tuesday.
Connecticut issues new vaccine mandates for state employees
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for state employees Thursday.
State employees in hospital facilities will be required to get vaccinated, while all other state employees, K-12 teachers and staff and early childhood staff will need to get tested weekly if they are not vaccinated, he said.
The requirements go into effect Sept. 27 and are on top of a previously announced vaccine mandate for long-term care employees.
"We've done very well, thank you Connecticut, in terms of people getting vaccinated," Lamont said at a press briefing. "We've got to do better."
More than 74% of Connecticut residents ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.