COVID-19 updates: More than 10,000 new deaths reported in US in 1 week
Some of the highest death tolls are in Texas, Georgia and North Carolina.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 672,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 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 63.6% 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:
- The FDA booster decision shows the process worked: Fauci
- FDA panel votes 'yes' on boosters for people 65 and older or high risk
- FDA panel declines to approve Pfizer boosters for all Americans
- Moderna vaccine appears to provide strongest protection against hospitalization
- More than 10,000 new deaths reported in US in 1 week
Kids ages 2 and up must wear masks at day care in NY state
In New York state, masks are now required at child care centers for children ages 2 and above and for all staff and visitors, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a tweet Wednesday.
"These universal mask requirements apply to anyone medically able to tolerate wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status," the governor said.
"With Delta on the rise, requiring masks is a key part of slowing the spread, reopening our economy safely, and protecting vulnerable New Yorkers," Hochul tweeted. "This new mask requirement ensures that children in our child care facilities receive the same protection as children in our schools."
Wendy Williams has breakthrough COVID
Talk show host Wendy Williams has a breakthrough COVID-19 case, her show said.
The new season of "The Wendy Williams Show" will be postponed to Oct. 4.
FDA releases Pfizer's data on boosters
New data from Pfizer show that Americans will likely need a booster shot about six months after their second vaccine dose.
Pfizer said the vaccine's protection against infection is waning over time. The company, however, said it didn't find significant evidence that the delta variant was contributing, more that it would've happened over time regardless.
Pfizer also heavily leaned on data from Israel to show that the vaccine's protection against severe COVID-19 could start to erode in the U.S. as it has there. So far, vaccine efficacy against hospitalization in the U.S. has held up, according to CDC data.
The data was released by the FDA ahead of a meeting where it will be reviewed by independent advisers. If the advisory committee supports boosters, the FDA would then formally amend its vaccine approval for Pfizer. The decision will be sent to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and finally to the CDC for sign off.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
TSA sees lowest number of travelers in 4 months
TSA agents screened 1,271,516 travelers at U.S. airports Tuesday, the lowest number since May 5.
-ABC News' Sam Sweeney
FDA panel votes 'yes' on boosters for people 65 and older or high risk
The FDA advisory panel on Friday voted 18-0 in favor of booster shots for anyone 65 and older or anyone at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19.
If the FDA agrees with the plan, which is likely, it’s possible that booster shots would roll out as early as next week to these populations. The CDC would weigh in first though with more specific recommendations on who exactly should take the third shots.
The 18-0 vote comes after the members voted "no" on the question of whether the current data supports a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and older.