Protests against mandated COVID-19 vaccines pop up across US
Pushback is happening over vaccine requirements and mask mandates.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 615,000 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 58.4% 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 last week, 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.
Latest headlines:
Tokyo COVID-19 cases up 200% in 1 week
There are 2,195 new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, a 206.9% increase since last Monday, according to the Tokyo Media Center.
At the Olympics, there are 281 new COVID-19 cases, an increase of 17 cases in the last 24 hours, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers. None of these cases are athletes; they are all contractors, personnel or media.
-ABC News’ Rachel Katz
TSA screens highest number of people since start of pandemic
The Transportation Security Administration screened 2,238,462 people at U.S. airports on Sunday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic, the agency said. The continued spread of the highly contagious delta variant has not stopped travelers this summer and the TSA put out a tweet reminding fliers to mask up and socially distance.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Florida school district says 2 employees dead from virus, pushes mask mandate
A Florida school district that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on school mask mandates said Tuesday that two of its employees died from the virus last weekend.
Carlee Simon, the superintendent for the Alachua County Schools, said in a statement that the district "is experiencing this spike first-hand."
"Over the weekend two of our employees passed away from COVID," she said in a statement. "We've had 18 new cases in the last three days alone. More than 80 employees are now in quarantine, and that number is rising fast."
The school district, which includes which includes Gainesville, voted Tuesday night to issue a mask mandate for students and staff for the next two weeks. The mandate will be reevaluated on Aug. 17, Simon said.