National

(NEW YORK) — Hundreds of health care workers across the country are being fired or suspended in droves for not complying with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

President Joe Biden announced earlier this month a vaccine mandate for health care facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, impacting some 17 million health care workers in the nation.

States including New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut also set vaccine mandates for health care workers that take effect this week.

But there are brewing concerns over staff shortages at already-overburdened hospitals still grappling with COVID-19 cases. Some hospital networks said they’ve ramped up hiring ahead of vaccine deadlines to stabilize their workforces.

ABC News contributor John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and professor at Harvard Medical School, noted that while overall the number of health care workers being terminated or suspended isn’t huge, at the same time, “we can’t afford to lose anybody at this point.”

“By and large, vaccine mandates are working. Those in health care are taking these vaccine incredibly seriously to protect themselves and their patients.” Brownstein said. “We’re seeing a greater need of health care — there was a lot of deferred care for elective surgeries and behavioral health — juxtaposed with existing shortages of health care workers. Any impact is going to create even more pressure on health care systems.”

In the South and West

In North Carolina, the Novant Health hospital system, which has over 35,000 employees across 15 hospitals and over 800 clinics, fired around 175 of its workers for failing to get vaccinated, officials told ABC News.

Approximately 375 team members were noncompliant with the vaccine mandate last week and were given a five-day suspension period to get a COVID-19 shot.

Over the course of the week, nearly 200 additional team members became in compliance, Novant Health said Monday. The hospital system now has a vaccine compliance rate of over 99%, officials said.

Employees granted medical or religious exemptions must wear masks and undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Novant Health CEO and president Carl Armato said in a statement that the system has been steadily adding to travel staff numbers “to meet the needs of our organization throughout the pandemic.”

“Without a vaccine mandate for team members, we faced the strong possibility of having a third of our staff unable to work due to contracting, or exposure to, COVID-19. This possibility only increases heading into a fall season with the more contagious and deadly delta variant,” he said.

In Texas, Houston Methodist Hospital, which has some 26,000 employees, saw 153 employees quit or fired over the vaccine requirement after the June 7 deadline to get the shots. Of those, 26 were nurses.

“We staffed up prior to the mandate so that we would be much better prepared when our June 7 deadline arrived, and then we had the fourth surge in Houston starting in July. We continue to hire positions as needed, so we’ve not had any major turnover or staffing concerns,” hospital spokesperson Lisa Merkl told ABC News.

In California, health workers have until Thursday to be fully inoculated.

At Cedars-Sinai, based in Los Angeles with almost 17,000 people in its workforce, about 75% of staffers are projected to comply by the deadline. About 1% applied for medical or religious exemptions.

California Hospital Association spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea told ABC News that the mandate comes at a time “when many hospitals are facing serious staffing shortages.”

“It’s hard to predict exactly how the vaccine mandate will play out — every hospital is implementing its own processes and procedures,” Emerson-Shea said. “While some health care workers may qualify for exemptions for either medical or religious reasons, it is possible that some health care workers may choose to leave their employment rather than get vaccinated.”

On the East Coast

In Delaware, 150 employees left ChristianaCare, a major hospital system in the state, after they failed to meet the Sept. 21 deadline to get vaccinated, the hospital announced in a Monday statement.

Approximately 200 caregivers received religious or medical accommodations and will have to wear masks and be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing to keep working.

“In late July, we made a commitment to put the safety of our caregivers and our patients first by requiring COVID-19 vaccination for everyone who works at ChristianaCare,” CEO Dr. Janice Nevin said in a statement. “As we anticipated, a small number of caregivers chose not to be vaccinated and have left the organization.”

The hospital network has also hired more than 200 caregivers over the past month to keep the workforce afloat.

In New York, hundreds of staffers have been suspended this week and risk losing their jobs as the statewide vaccine mandate for health workers reached its first dose deadline Monday.

Northwell, the state’s largest private hospital system with over 76,000 employees, fired about two dozen “unvaccinated leaders” at the management level or above for not getting vaccinated, officials said Tuesday.

“We are now beginning the process to exit the rest of our unvaccinated staff,” Northwell said in a statement.

In New York City, about 500 nurses for NYC Health + Hospitals are not at work and have been preemptively replaced. Unvaccinated workers have been placed on unpaid leave but can return once they get their shot. A hospital spokesperson told ABC News that today over 92% of the NYC Health + Hospitals’ workforce is in compliance with the state vaccine mandate as of Wednesday.

“We anticipated there would be some losses of staff. We knew that no matter what our efforts, some people would not get vaccinated, we planned appropriately,” hospital president Dr. Mitch Katz said Tuesday.

Erie County Medical Center Corporation based in Buffalo, New York, said about 276 employees, 7% of the workforce, was on administrative leave for failing to meet the requirement.

That total includes 5% of all ECMC hospital staff and 20% of staff at the Terrace View, a long-term care facility, hospital vice president of communications and external affairs Peter Cutler told ABC News. Those who have not gotten their shots are put on a 30-day period of unpaid leave, but if they get vaccinated they can return.

Similarly, Albany Medical Center suspended 204 employees of its over 11,000-member workforce for one week starting Tuesday for not complying with the vaccine, officials said in a press conference Tuesday.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that the numbers of state health care workers getting the COVID-19 vaccine are promising with 92% of hospital staff, 92% of nursing home staff and 89% of adult care facility staff inoculated with at least one vaccine dose.

“This new information shows that holding firm on the vaccine mandate for health care workers is simply the right thing to do to protect our vulnerable family members and loved ones from COVID-19,” she said.

To grapple with any potential shortages in hospital and health care staff, Hochul signed an executive order Monday night which allows health care workers from other states and countries to practice in New York and waives re-registration fees.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BLOOMINGTON, Ill.) — The family of Jelani Day, an Illinois grad student and aspiring doctor whose body was found floating in the Illinois River five days ago, is desperately searching for answers.

Day’s body was found on Sept. 4 and was identified by the LaSalle County Coroner on Sept. 23 through forensic dental identification and DNA testing.

“Jelani did not just disappear into thin air. Somebody knows something, somebody seen something and I need somebody to say something,” Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day, told “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.

“I’m very upset because I can’t even look at my son’s body. His body has deteriorated to the point where I can’t say a proper goodbye to him,” she said.

The 25 year-old was living in Bloomington, Illinois, and studying at Illinois State University and was reported missing by his family on Aug. 25 — two days after they had last spoken with him, according to a joint press release from police and the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.

He was last seen at the university campus on Aug. 24 and his car was found two days later in Peru, Illinois.

Family attorney Hallie Bezner told “GMA” that Day has never been to Peru before and his family suspects foul play.

“The wallet was found in a different area. The lanyard, which it had a school ID on it was not found with the wallet, it was found in a different area — the area with some clothes that were found last week,” Bezner said.

Police in Peru are working to identify a man captured on security cameras knocking on the front door of a home that is close to the location where Day’s body was found. The video was captured a day after Day was last seen and police are urging the public to help identify the man.

The home is in an area that is predominantly white and the owner of the property said that he did not know the male captured on the home security video but after seeing images of Day on the news, sent the video to the police, thinking it could be Day.

Bolden Day said that the Black male seen in the footage is not her son, but wondered whether the man in the video could be connected to her son’s death and said she wished the video had been shared with the public sooner.

Day’s cause of death has not been determined and authorities have not yet named any suspects in Day’s death.

Bolden Day said it was frustrating to see cases like 22-year-old Gabby Petito, a travel blogger whose body was found in Wyoming, get media immediate attention, while her son’s death did not get widespread coverage until his body was identified weeks later.

“I see that Gabby is missing and I see [her] getting the help. I wasn’t getting that attention,” she said.

Since his body was identified, Day’s death has garnered the attention of celebrities like Viola Davis and Lizzo, who have helped share his story and urged the public to help in getting answers surrounding his death.

“Jelani was ambitious. He was driven. He was focused. He was energetic. He was full of life. Jelani was a person that you couldn’t help but love,” Bolden Day said.

ABC News’ Vera Drymon and Jessy Mendoza contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — A massive search is continuing in Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities confirmed as the body discovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.

The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media.

Petito’s parents, who live in Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 29, 5:34 pm
Laundrie left behind new cellphone before going on hike, family attorney says

Brian Laundrie left a new cellphone at home before he went for a hike in the Carlton Reserve on Sept. 14, Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino confirmed to ABC News.

The phone was purchased on Sept. 4, Bertolino said, three days after Laundrie returned to his home in North Port from a cross-country trip. Laundrie opened an account with AT&T and the phone wasn’t a burner, Bertolino said.

The FBI now has the phone, according to Bertolino. The FBI had no comment to ABC News.

-ABC News’ Kristin Thorne and Whitney Lloyd

Sep 29, 11:00 am
Brian Laundrie and parents went camping after he returned home without Gabby Petito

The nationwide search for Brian Laundrie has turned to a Florida campground, where the wanted fugitive’s family attorney confirmed to ABC News he went camping with his parents about a week after returning home from a cross-country trip without his girlfriend, Gabby Petito.

Steven Bertolino, the attorney for the Laundrie family, said Brian Laundrie, his father, Christopher, and mother, Roberta, all went camping in early September at the Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County.

Bertolino confirmed the family went on the camping trip after ABC affiliate station WFTS in Tampa obtained the Fort De Soto Park reservation log under the Freedom of Information Act, which showed Roberta Laundrie checked in on Sept. 6 and checked out on Sept. 8.

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was spotted circling Fort De Soto Park Monday night between 11:40 p.m. until 12:40 a.m., WFTS reported. The sheriff’s office only said the helicopter search of the park was part of an active investigation.

Bertolino said Laundrie returned to his family’s home in North Port, Florida, following the camping excursion. The parents, through their attorney, denied doing anything to help their son elude the FBI.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SOUTHGATE, Mich.) — Federal investigators announced on Wednesday that they’d charged two Michigan men in a pair of unrelated schemes where each allegedly sold phony COVID-19 vaccination cards.

The defendants, one of whom is a registered nurse, allegedly sold the fraudulent cards online via social media accounts and messenger services, prosecutors said.

“Regardless of whether an individual chooses to get vaccinated, we urge everyone to avoid turning to schemes like these to evade vaccination requirements. Importing these cards is a crime. Selling these cards is a crime.” Saima Mohsin, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement.

Bethann Kierczak, 37, of Southgate, Michigan, was charged with theft of government property and theft or embezzlement related to a health care benefit program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Kierczak, a registered nurse, allegedly stole or embezzled authentic COVID-19 vaccination record cards from a VA hospital along with vaccine lot numbers necessary to make the cards appear legitimate, prosecutors said. He allegedly sold the cards to individuals in the Detroit community for $150 to $200 each and began selling via Facebook Messenger in May.

“Since the matter of public health is so important the VA Office of Inspector General will continue to devote resources to these cases whenever and wherever they arise,” Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein of the VA Office of Inspector General said in a statement.

Rapheal Jarrell Smiley, 32, of Detroit, was charged Wednesday with fraud involving department or agency seals, identity document fraud and trafficking in counterfeit goods, federal prosecutors said.

Smiley allegedly ordered fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards from two distributors in China that have been accused of supplying the phony documents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Smiley allegedly advertised the cards for sale through his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DALLAS) — A Dallas apartment building has partially collapsed after firefighters were called to investigate a carbon monoxide leak, according to officials.

When firefighters arrived at the South Dallas apartment building around 10:30 a.m. local time, they noticed an odor of gas around the building, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

An explosion occurred while fire crews were investigating the scene, causing the two-story building to partially collapse, officials said.

The fire was producing flames and heavy smoke by 11 a.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans told reporters in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. At least half of the building appeared to be badly damaged and piles of debris from the building could be seen strewn around the structure.

“The damage is extensive,” Evans said. “The collapse itself is extensive.”

Seven people, including at least four firefighters, were injured in the explosion and taken to local hospitals. Two victims are in critical condition; five are in stable condition, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Residents began reporting the smell of gas as early as Tuesday night, Evans said. He did not elaborate on the initial investigation into those reports.

It is unclear what caused the explosion, fire officials said. Additional information was not immediately available.

ABC News’ James Scholz contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — A massive search is continuing in Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities confirmed as the body discovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.

The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media.

Petito’s parents, who live in Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 29, 11:00 am
Brian Laundrie and parents went camping after he returned home without Gabby Petito

The nationwide search for Brian Laundrie has turned to a Florida campground, where the wanted fugitive’s family attorney confirmed to ABC News he went camping with his parents about a week after returning home from a cross-country trip without his girlfriend, Gabby Petito.

Steven Bertolino, the attorney for the Laundrie family, said Brian Laundrie, his father, Christopher, and mother, Roberta, all went camping in early September at the Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County.

Bertolino confirmed the family went on the camping trip after ABC affiliate station WFTS in Tampa obtained the Fort De Soto Park reservation log under the Freedom of Information Act, which showed Roberta Laundrie checked in on Sept. 6 and checked out on Sept. 8.

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was spotted circling Fort De Soto Park Monday night between 11:40 p.m. until 12:40 a.m., WFTS reported. The sheriff’s office only said the helicopter search of the park was part of an active investigation.

Bertolino said Laundrie returned to his family’s home in North Port, Florida, following the camping excursion. The parents, through their attorney, denied doing anything to help their son elude the FBI.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 693,000 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 64.9% 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 29, 12:37 pm
CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated

The CDC on Wednesday issued an urgent health advisory to try to increase vaccinations among women who are pregnant, recently pregnant or may become pregnant.

Just 31% of pregnant people have been vaccinated, the CDC said.

As of Monday, pregnant people accounted for 125,000 COVID-19 cases and 161 deaths, the CDC said.

“Cases of COVID-19 in symptomatic, pregnant people have a two-fold risk of admission into intensive care and a 70 percent increased risk of death,” the CDC said.

The agency said it’s calling “on health departments and clinicians to educate pregnant people on the benefits of vaccination and the safety of recommended vaccines.”

Sep 29, 12:16 pm
About 118 million Americans remain unvaccinated

Approximately 118 million Americans remain completely unvaccinated, including 70 million over the age of 12, according to federal data.

On Wednesday, the U.S. is likely to reach a significant vaccine milestone of 200 million adults vaccinated with at least one dose.

Alaska currently has the country’s highest infection rate with daily cases up by nearly 2,500% since mid-July, according to federal data.

West Virginia, once a model for its vaccine rollout, now has more hospitalized patients than at any point in the pandemic.

But states including Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia appear to be improving, federal data show.

Nationwide, around 79,000 people are hospitalized, down by more than 20% since the beginning of September. Even so, ICU capacities in several states, including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and Texas, remain at critical levels.

Sep 29, 8:44 am
United Airlines to fire 593 unvaccinated employees

United Airlines plans to immediately terminate up to 593 employees who chose not to get vaccinated under the airline’s mandate.

United said more than 99% of its employees chose to get vaccinated.

Roughly 2,000 employees sought a medical or religious exemption. Because of ongoing litigation, United said it will not reveal how many employees were granted exemptions. United says anyone who applied for an exemption will still be allowed to go to work until a final decision is made on how to handle their cases. The airline expects a decision by Oct. 15.

Sep 28, 7:29 pm
FDA approval for kids’ vaccinations could take longer: Source

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old could begin in November, possibly before Thanksgiving, a federal official with knowledge of the agency’s process told ABC News.

This prediction comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday kids will likely start getting vaccinated by late October.

Another official told ABC News that Pfizer has yet to complete its full submission, and that the FDA is not going to be rushed on this.

Pfizer submitted it initial data on younger children to the FDA earlier Tuesday.

The FDA already has scientists reviewing that initial data submitted by Pfizer, according to the official.

Sep 28, 5:07 pm
Forecasters expect US pandemic to continue to improve

The COVID-19 Forecast Hub’s ensemble forecast, used by the CDC, predicts that U.S. hospitalizations will continue to fall — perhaps to as low as 4,600 per day — by Oct. 11.

Forecasters say around 1,600 fewer people are likely to die over the next two weeks than during the past two weeks. In the two weeks ending Sept. 25, at least 27,755 people died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Over the next two weeks ending Oct. 19, just over 26,000 deaths are expected.

Sep 28, 4:33 pm
Pfizer CEO says timeline on shots for kids up to FDA

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic Tuesday that the timeline on shots for children ages 5 to 11 is up to the FDA.

“I think it’s not appropriate for me to comment how long FDA will take to review the data. They should take as much time as they think it’s appropriate for them to have high levels of comfort,” Bourla said.

“If approved, we will be ready to have the vaccine available,” he added.

Vaccines may be authorized and available for 5- to 11-year-olds in October or November.

Bourla said he thinks once kids get vaccinated, the U.S. will get a “strong push” toward herd immunity.

Bourla said he thinks booster protection from Pfizer vaccines will likely last one year.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Conditions at New York City’s jail complex, Rikers Island, are so bad that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has directed prosecutors not to ask for bail in nonviolent crimes and when a defendant’s record does not demonstrate recent violence — even if it risks an increase in additional “low-level” crime.

The directive comes amid a spate of deaths and a culture of violence that have spurred calls for emergency action.

The district attorney’s office said the conditions at Rikers “are of deep concern” and “will inform our bail practices for at least the next few weeks.”

“We hope that the conditions on Rikers Island improve quickly,” executive assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi said in a memo obtained by ABC News. “While we are duty bound to insure public safety, we are also aware that no one can avert their eyes from the conditions being reported at Rikers. In light of the conditions faced by those individuals detained at Rikers, we have endeavored to ensure that our practices are as equitable as possible, even though we understand that releasing some individuals may, unfortunately, lead to additional low level crime.”

In a follow-up email obtained by ABC News, assistant district attorney Andrew Warshawer said prosecutors won’t ask for monetary bail, for the time being, when: the crime is legally and factually nonviolent and doesn’t implicate risk of physical harm; and the defendant isn’t a violent felon and doesn’t have sex crimes or violent misdemeanor convictions within the last 10 years; and the defendant hasn’t failed to appear for the case.

Warshawer said the office will still ask for supervised release and other non-cash conditions.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, “It has to be very, very carefully approached.”

“There are some low-level offenses where — I’ve said this for a long time — people do not belong in a jail setting. We can use supervised release, we can use a lot of other tools,” he said. “But when it particularly comes to anything regarding violent crime or serious crime, I would be very, very careful.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 690,000 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 64.8% 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 28, 7:29 pm
FDA approval for kids’ vaccinations could take longer: Source

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old could begin in November, possibly before Thanksgiving, a federal official with knowledge of the agency’s process told ABC News.

This prediction comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday kids will likely start getting vaccinated by late October.

Another official told ABC News that Pfizer has yet to complete its full submission, and that the FDA is not going to be rushed on this.

Pfizer submitted it initial data on younger children to the FDA earlier Tuesday.

The FDA already has scientists reviewing that initial data submitted by Pfizer, according to the official.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Eric Strauss

Sep 28, 5:07 pm
Forecasters expect US pandemic to continue to improve

The COVID-19 Forecast Hub’s ensemble forecast, used by the CDC, predicts that U.S. hospitalizations will continue to fall — perhaps to as low as 4,600 per day — by Oct. 11.

Forecasters say around 1,600 fewer people are likely to die over the next two weeks than during the past two weeks. In the two weeks ending Sept. 25, at least 27,755 people died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Over the next two weeks ending Oct. 19, just over 26,000 deaths are expected.

-ABC News’ Brian Hartman

Sep 28, 4:33 pm
Pfizer CEO says timeline on shots for kids up to FDA

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic Tuesday that the timeline on shots for children ages 5 to 11 is up to the FDA.

“I think it’s not appropriate for me to comment how long FDA will take to review the data. They should take as much time as they think it’s appropriate for them to have high levels of comfort,” Bourla said. 

“If approved, we will be ready to have the vaccine available,” he added.

Vaccines may be authorized and available for 5- to 11-year-olds in October or November.

Bourla said he thinks once kids get vaccinated, the U.S. will get a “strong push” toward herd immunity.

Bourla said he thinks booster protection from Pfizer vaccines will likely last one year.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 3:46 pm
More data on mixing/matching vaccines is coming within weeks, Fauci says

At Tuesday’s White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a loose timeline for when the FDA could have enough data to consider approving mixing and matching vaccines.

Moderna has already submitted data about using its shot as a booster for people who have received the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  J&J will submit data on mixing its shot with the other vaccines in the next week, according to Fauci, and then Pfizer will submit its data within the first two weeks of October. Finally, the data will be examined by the FDA.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 3:43 pm
More data on mixing/matching vaccines is coming within weeks, Fauci says

At Tuesday’s White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a loose timeline for when the FDA could have enough data to consider approving mixing and matching vaccines.

Moderna has already submitted data about using its shot as a booster for people who have received the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  J&J will submit data on mixing its shot with the other vaccines in the next week, according to Fauci, and then Pfizer will submit its data within the first two weeks of October. Finally, the data will be examined by the FDA.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 2:37 pm
Over 400K Americans got booster shot at pharmacies this weekend: White House

Over 400,000 Americans received a booster shot at a pharmacy since Friday and nearly 1 million more have scheduled appointments in the next few weeks, according to the White House.

The U.S. is expected to hit a milestone of 200 million Americans with at least one shot on Wednesday, White House COVID-⁠19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said.

The White House also touted another important milestone: racial equity in vaccinations nationwide.

According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 73% of Latinos and 70% of Black Americans have now gotten at least one shot, compared to 71% of white Americans. In May, this same poll found that 65% of white Americans were vaccinated compared to 56% of Black Americans.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 2:09 pm
US hospitalizations drop

At the beginning of the month, there were more than 104,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. As of Tuesday, there were 81,000 patients hospitalized — a drop of about 23,000 patients, according to federal data.

Nearly 50% of those patients — 11,000 — are from Florida, where cases and hospitalizations have been plummeting since mid-August.

In recent weeks, however, 16 states have reported higher hospital admission metrics, according to federal data: Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.

Five states — Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and Texas — have ICU capacities of 10% or less, according to federal data.

Alaska has the country’s highest case rate, followed by West Virginia, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota and Kentucky.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Sep 28, 1:21 pm
Vaccine mandates work, NYC mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said there’s been a 45% increase in the daily vaccination rate since vaccine mandates were launched in July.

All city-run and private hospitals appear to be operating normally after health workers faced a midnight deadline to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs. About 500 nurses for NYC Health + Hospitals are not at work.

NYC Health + Hospitals now has a 91% vaccination rate, up from 90% on Monday. City officials said about 5,000 employees were unvaccinated in the hospital system, down from more than 8,000 a week ago.

Northwell, New York state’s largest private hospital system, said it fired about two dozen “unvaccinated leaders,” management level or above, for not getting vaccinated.

“We are now beginning the process to exit the rest of our unvaccinated staff,” Northwell said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky

Sep 28, 1:00 pm
3rd Pfizer dose has similar side effects to 2nd dose: Preliminary CDC data

A new preliminary CDC report of 306 people who received a third Pfizer dose found that side effects were similar to the second dose.

The most common side effects are fatigue, headache and a sore arm. These symptoms usually last one or two days.

The CDC will continue monitoring third doses for any potential new side effects or safety issues but says so far no “unexpected” patterns have been identified.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Sep 28, 8:55 am
Pfizer submits initial child vaccine data to FDA

Pfizer on Tuesday submitted data for the Phase 2/3 vaccine trial for 5- to 11-year-olds to the FDA.

Pfizer will make a formal request for authorization in the coming weeks.

The FDA will review the data and make a decision, possibly by the end of October. The timeline for authorization is not set in stone.

Sep 27, 8:00 pm
Judge upholds NYC school staff vaccine mandate

A three-judge panel from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has dissolved a temporary injunction that halted New York City’s vaccine mandate for school staff.

The panel offered no explanation and cleared the way for the city to enforcement the public school vaccine mandate.

“Vaccinations are our strongest tool in the fight against COVID-19 – this ruling is on the right side of the law and will protect our students and staff,” New York City’s Department of Education said in a statement.

As of Monday night, 87% of DOE employees, including 91% of teachers and 97% of principals, have at least one shot, according to the DOE.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said public school employees will have until the end of day Friday to get at least one dose of vaccine.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, released a statement Monday night saying, “We will be working with our members to ensure, as far as possible, that our schools can open safely as the vaccine mandate is enforced.”

Sep 27, 7:02 pm
First lady Jill Biden receives booster shot

First lady Jill Biden received her COVID-19 booster shot Monday, according to Michael LaRosa, her spokesman.

The shot was administered at the White House in the afternoon, LaRosa told ABC News.

Sep 27, 6:10 pm
Judge rules Arizona ban on school mask mandate unconstitutional

An Arizona judge ruled Monday that the state’s ban on mask mandates in schools is unconstitutional.

Judge Katherine Cooper sided with the Arizona School Boards Association, which contended that the Arizona State Legislature’s law to ban school districts from issuing a mask mandate violates the state constitution’s title requirement and single subject rule.

The association argued that the legislature included policy regarding 30 subjects into one bill.

“The single subject rule precludes legislators from combining unrelated provisions into one bill to garner votes for disfavored measures. Together, these requirements promote transparency and the public’s access to information about legislative action,” the judge wrote in her decision.

The law was slated to go into effect on Sept. 29.

The state has until Nov. 1 to file an objection or response to the ruling.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The parents and stepparents of slain travel blogger Gabby Petito not only asked on Tuesday for the public to help authorities locate Brian Laundrie, who has been named a person of interest in their daughter’s homicide, but also assist in helping other families find their missing loved ones.

“I want to ask people to help all of the people that are missing and need help,” Petito’s father, Joe Petito, said during a news conference at the office of the family’s lawyer in Long Island, New York. “It’s on all of you, everyone in this room, to do that and if you don’t do that for other people who are missing, that’s a shame because it’s not just Gabby that deserves that.”

Joe Petito joined his wife, Tara Petito, Gabby’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, her husband, Jim Schmidt, at the news conference in showing tattoos they each got Monday night to honor their daughter.

The parents each had the words “Let it Be” tattooed on their right forearms like one their daughter had. They also had tattoos on their left arms of flowers and the word “Believe” they said their daughter designed.

“I wanted to have her with me all the time,” Nicole Schmidt said of why she got the tattoos. “I feel that this helps that.”

Nicole Schmidt said she has been deeply moved by letters and messages her family received from people worldwide, touched by her daughter’s zeal for life and travel, and heartbroken by her death.

“I just hope that people are inspired by her,” the mother said. “It’s hard to put into words, but it means a lot to me that she’s touched so many. I’m so proud for her and we’re going to keep that light going and help a lot of people if we can.”

Rich Stafford, a lawyer for the family, said the parents have complete faith in the FBI to achieve justice for their daughter. However, he said the FBI has asked the family to refrain from speaking publicly about Laundrie and their relationship with his family.

“Justice for Gabby is that we see justice for her homicide,” Stafford said.

He also had a message for Laundrie if he was listening.

“Brian, we’re asking you to turn yourself into the FBI or the nearest law enforcement agency,” Stafford said.

Stafford declined to answer questions concerning Laundrie’s parents. Law enforcement officials have said they were uncooperative in their search for Petito after her family reported her missing on Sept. 11.

“The Laundries did not help us find Gabby. They are sure not going to help us find Brian,” Stafford said.

The Laundrie family issued a statement Monday evening through their attorney reiterating they do not know of their son’s whereabouts.

“They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him,” the statement reads.

In response to a question from ABC News on whether the parents are bothered that the FBI has yet to name Laundrie as a suspect in their daughter’s death, Stafford would only say, “The parents are 100% happy with the FBI. They’ve been with us at every single step of the way.”

Jim Schmidt said the family has yet to bring their daughter’s remains back to New York from Wyoming, where they were recovered on Sept. 19 in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. He said the FBI and law enforcement agencies working on the homicide investigation in Wyoming asked the family if they could hold on to their daughter’s remains.

“We want to make sure that no matter what, we do not impede their investigation in any way,” Schmidt said. “We wanted her home immediately but we understand their position and we know that she’s safe with them.”

On Sunday, hundreds of friends, family, and strangers, some from as far away as California and Florida, attended a funeral for the 22-year-old woman near the Long Island town where she was raised.

The parents also spoke of the Gabby Petito Foundation they have established to assist other families going through the turmoil of having a loved one missing.

“We can’t let her name be taken in vain. We need positive stuff,” said Joe Petito. “Anything we can do to bring that up and help people, that’s what we want.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.