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.
Latest headlines:
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.
Delta likely contributed to vaccine's waning protection: Murthy
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced at Wednesday's White House briefing, "Having reviewed the most current data, it is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID-19 boosters is now."
Murthy said protection against mild disease has decreased, likely a combination of waning vaccine protection over time and the strength of the delta variant, and that the administration is "concerned" that protection could continue to erode.
"Even though this new data affirms that vaccine protection remains high against the worst outcomes of COVID, we are concerned that this pattern of decline we're seeing will continue in the months ahead, which could lead to reduced protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death," Murthy said.
"That is why, today, we are announcing our plan to stay ahead of this virus by being prepared to offer COVID-19 booster shots to fully vaccinated adults 18 years and older," Murthy said. "They would be eligible for their booster shot eight months after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Modern mRNA vaccines."
The boosters are set to begin Sept. 20, but Murthy emphasized that this is pending FDA authorization and also reiterated that does not yet apply to J&J recipients.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslet