(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
More than 695,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 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 65% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 30, 10:07 am
NY hospital system nearly 100% vaccinated after letting go ‘few hundred employees’
Northwell Health, New York state’s largest health care system, says its workforce of more than 77,000 is now “near 100%” vaccinated after letting go “a few hundred employees” who refused to get the mandated shot.
Northwell Health said, “we are pleased to report that most team members are opting to be vaccinated so as to avoid being terminated.”
Sep 30, 9:40 am
37% of people may have at least 1 symptom months after having COVID: Study
A new study finds 37% of COVID-19 patients had at least one symptom three to six months later. The most typical symptoms included breathlessness, fatigue, abdominal pain, depression and anxiety.
Researchers from the University of Oxford analyzed millions of medical records, comparing long-haul symptoms after COVID-19 to long-haul symptoms after the flu. A significant portion of people who had the flu also experienced symptoms three to six months later, but far more people who recovered from COVID-19 experienced at least one long-haul symptom.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health has launched several large research studies to look into why long-haul symptoms happen to some people and how to treat them.
Sep 29, 8:46 pm
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says unvaccinated athletes ‘very irresponsible’
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke with ABC News Live Wednesday about the vaccination status among NBA players.
The league, which has not implemented a mandate among team members, said 90% of all players are vaccinated. However, some of the holdouts include stars like Bradley Beal and Andrew Wiggins.
Abdul-Jabbar told ABC News’ Phil Lipof that he believes the players refusing to get vaccinated are being “very irresponsible.”
“If you care for your family or the people that you work with, and have to spend a lot of time with, you will get vaccinated,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
He added that this should especially be true among Black athletes, noting that COVID-19 has affected Black Americans the most, so promoting vaccinations is important for the community.
“It’s like an extension of Black Lives Matter,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Most of the people who are dying are black people. Most of the people who are losing their jobs and being negatively affected in other ways economically are Black Americans. So the Black community, who has a great communication going on with their athletes, they need to get wise to this and Black athletes can do a lot to to change the template.”
Sep 29, 8:06 pm
Aladdin Broadway show canceled after several test positive for COVID
Producers for Aladdin on Broadway canceled Wednesday’s show after several people in the production tested positive for COVID-19.
Disney Theatrical Productions announced the cancellation just 30 minutes before the start of the show, saying “Through our rigorous testing protocols, breakthrough COVID-19 cases have been detected within the company of ‘Aladdin’ at the New Amsterdam Theater.”
The production resumed on Tuesday after shutting down for nearly a year and a half. The Broadway League issued a vaccine mandate for all of its casts and crews before productions resumed this month.
Disney Theatrical Productions is a part of the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News.
Sep 29, 6:25 pm
West Virginia is in the eye if the COVID storm, governor says
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice offered yet another urgent plea Wednesday for residents to get vaccinated, as the state continues to struggle through its COVID-19 latest surge.
“There’s absolutely every reason to believe we’re right in the eye of the storm. We’re right at the peak of the surge right now,” Justice said in a news conference. “We’re going to lose a bunch more people.”
Only 48.1% of West Virginians have had one dose of the vaccine as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ICU capacity is currently at a record high, with nearly 300 patients receiving critical care, according to Justice.
“We can’t have all these people just die in vain and have this just continue to go and continue to go,” he said.
Justice explained that although he does not believe in mandates, all he can “possibly do with a good conscience,” is to continue to urge everyone in the community to get vaccinated.
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