(Sturgis, S.D.) — While a series of high-profile events have been canceled this week due to the looming threat posed by the delta variant, one that last year contributed to hundreds of COVID-19 cases will not.
South Dakota’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which begins Friday and runs through Aug. 15, is expected to draw upwards of 700,000 attendees. Last year’s rally, which took place during the height of the United States’ summer surge, had more than 400,000 estimated attendees, many of whom didn’t wear masks as they patronized bars, restaurants and concerts.
The downstream effect was tangible: At least 649 COVID-19 cases were linked to Sturgis, including secondary and third-degree contacts.
“The Sturgis rally had many characteristics of a superspreading event: large crowds, high intensity of contact between people, potential for highly infectious individuals traveling from hotspots, and events in poorly ventilated indoor environments,” a 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study concluded.
“Such mass events can result in the resurgence of COVID-19 in counties and states even after epidemic control has been achieved through local risk mitigation activities,” the authors wrote.
This year, the CDC has designated Meade County, where Sturgis is located, an area of “high community transmission.” The agency recommends that anyone residing in or visiting such an area wear a mask in public indoor spaces.
South Dakota’s vaccination rate also trails the national average. As of Thursday, 53% of residents had received at least one dose, and 47% were fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, compared with 58% of and 50%, respectively, of all Americans.
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem supports the rally, a major economic driver in the state.
“There’s a risk associated with everything that we do in life,” Noem wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Bikers get that better than anyone.”
“It’s been extremely busy compared to other years so far,” said Pete Gold, the owner of One-Eyed Jack’s Saloon, a Sturgis-based biker bar. He estimated that at least 100,000 people had arrived in town already.
“There’s not one single person here wearing a mask,” he added. “These people — bikers, Trump supporters, South Dakota Republicans — do not believe in it.”
Despite being unconcerned about COVID-19 or the delta variant, Gold said that he and his family got vaccinated because they want to travel internationally, including to Thailand, where he lives for part of the year.
“I suffered through two Pfizers,” he said. “I have a lot of countries I haven’t been to, so if I don’t get vaccinated, I can’t go.”
(QUEEN CREEK, Ariz.) — An Arizona mom’s worst fear came true when her 5-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks after her school year started.
Heidi Kim’s 5-year-old daughter, Irene, is in kindergarten and her 8-year-old daughter, Rosalind, is in third grade at EduPrize charter school in Queens Creek, Arizona.
Kim homeschooled both of her children during the 2020 school year due to Arizona’s high COVID-19 rates and to protect close friends and family that were high risk for COVID-19. This year, Kim and her husband made the decision to send their children to school on July 21 in hopes that a vaccine would soon be available for children and allow for Kim to return to work.
“I was really nervous about sending them back there, but I had hoped maybe in September they would be eligible for the vaccine,” Kim told “Good Morning America.” “I had hoped it would just be the month and a few extra weeks depending when it comes.”
Arizona is one of eight states that has banned mask mandates in classrooms. On June 30, 2021, Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law prohibiting mask mandates in Arizona schools. Kim says EduPrize encouraged students to wear masks but due to state law cannot enforce it.
“I dropped them off at school and I just cried and not because of things that you should normally be feeling when you send your youngest kid off to kindergarten,” Kim said. “I cried because I felt like I was sending her into a petri dish.”
Kim said although masks were encouraged, there were only two other kindergartners wearing masks in her daughter’s class. In Rosalind’s third grade class there was only one other student.
“It’s incredibly frustrating because I think schools should absolutely be open. I don’t think that people should have to put their life on hold for a year and a half,” Kim said. “When we look at what public health is telling us, you look at the American Academy of Pediatrics, or the CDC, they’re all saying schools should be open. But also people who aren’t vaccinated should wear a mask.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reversed its mask guidance and recommended that schools embrace universal masks, backtracking on an earlier recommendation that vaccinated students and staff could go without masks indoors. Several Arizona districts have opted to make masks mandatory.
In addition, The American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization of nearly 70,000 pediatricians, has also called for schools to enforce universal masking mandates.
“AAP recommends universal masking because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated,” the AAP wrote in a statement.
Two weeks after her first day of school, Kim noticed Irene was acting out of character. She would fall asleep doing everyday activities and soon she was running a 103 fever. Kim brought her to get a COVID-19 test and confirmed that the 5-year-old had contracted the virus.
“I’d like to be honest, I’m angry,” Kim said. “And of course I’m sad. And I feel guilty, because I had felt so conflicted about sending her back in the first place. And I never should have had to be in that position.”
Kim says since Irene tested positive for COVID-19 her other daughter has also started showing symptoms but has not yet received her results from the PCR test she took at her doctor’s office.
Arizona Public Schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman weighed in on Arizona’s mask guidelines for schools in a statement to ABC News.
“It is heartbreaking to learn of a child being infected with COVID-19. It is equally as frustrating knowing that Arizona public schools have lost the authority to fully implement proven mitigation strategies recommended by public health experts like universal and correct use of masks,” Hoffman said. “In June, Governor Ducey signed a law prohibiting schools’ ability to implement mask requirements, undercutting local school authority. This action by Governor Ducey and the Legislature was reckless and short-sighted – and will result in more children testing positive for COVID-19.”
“I want kids in their classrooms because that is where the best learning happens – and until we are fully on the other side of this pandemic, we must take every necessary precaution to protect student health and safety in those classrooms and ensure minimal disruption to learning,” Hoffman continued. “We have serious work ahead of us to help students recover from the last two disrupted school years, all while keeping them safe, and we don’t have time for political games.”
After going through this with her children, Kim said she hopes that since schools in her state cannot mandate masks, more parents will put masks on their kids before they head into classrooms..
“It’s not hard to wear a mask and it does so much to protect the people around you,” Kim said. “I would really encourage parents to put their kids in a mask. And I would really encourage parents if they haven’t, to get vaccinated.”
“The more adults that are eligible to get the vaccine, the less community spread there will be. And the sooner these kids can get back to a normal life,” Kim said. “I understand that we want kids to have a normal school year, the best way we can do that is by sending them in a mask.”
(WASHINGTON) — In his first message to all staff on the issue, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday acknowledged there is “growing concern” about the “unexplained health incidents” that have affected dozens of U.S. personnel around the globe.
Blinken committed to meeting “soon” with staff and families affected by what’s commonly called “Havana syndrome,” after the first cluster of cases were reported in Cuba’s capital in late 2016.
Amid some complaints that the department has not been proactive enough in addressing their health challenges or other issues, the note, obtained first by ABC News, acknowledged some shortcomings in sharing information with the department’s 70,000 employees and supporting those who have been impacted.
“Those of you who’ve been directly affected are urgently seeking clarity. Employees going abroad are anxious about whether they or their families are at risk. That’s completely understandable, and I wish we had more answers for you,” wrote Blinken.
“We can and will do a better job keeping you informed of our efforts to get answers, support those affected, and protect our people,” he added.
President Joe Biden’s National Security Council is leading a government-wide investigation into what is causing the incidents and who may be behind them. But so far, U.S. officials have few answers, nearly five years after State Department, CIA, and other personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana reported strange experiences, like feelings of pressure or vibration and a screeching sound, and debilitating symptoms, including headaches, nausea, cognitive deficits, and trouble with seeing, hearing, or balancing.
Several officials have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, although it’s unclear how many – just one piece of data that diplomats are seeking from the department, along with the number and location of reported incidents, CNN reported this week.
Beyond Cuba, cases have been reported in several other countries, including China, Uzbekistan, Russia, Austria, and the United States, although the White House has said the “vast majority” have been reported overseas.
“The investigation into what’s causing these incidents and how we can protect our people is ongoing,” Blinken wrote in his message.
Last December, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a report that concluded that “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases, especially in individuals with the distinct early symptoms.”
The CIA, State Department, and Pentagon all have their own internal task forces to address cases among their personnel and search for possible clues into the causes. The State Department’s is overseen by Pamela Spratlen, a two-time ambassador whom Blinken said reports directly to him, while the CIA assigned a veteran officer critical to the agency’s efforts to find Osama bin Laden to now head its cell.
In addition, the State Department started a pilot program in June to begin recording baseline medical information of personnel and their adult family members before they move to U.S. diplomatic posts overseas. One month earlier, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Brian McKeon sent a cable to all staff urging them to report possible incidents or symptoms immediately – adding, “There is no stigma associated with reporting, and that every report will be taken seriously by our health and security professionals, and the leadership of the Department.”
McKeon and Spratlen have both met affected staffers and family members, but Blinken has not yet and, until Thursday, had not addressed the issue in a department-wide memo. His spokesperson Ned Price said last month that it was one of the first issues he requested a briefing on during the transition – adding, “These health incidents have been a priority for Secretary Blinken since his day one.”
CIA Director Bill Burns has met with affected personnel and made the issue a top priority, tripling the number of full-time medical personnel focused on it, he told NPR two weeks ago. While the symptoms are “real, and it’s serious,” he added, the agency still has no definitive answers on the cause.
An internal State Department report, declassified and released in February, found the agency’s initial response was severely botched, “characterized by a lack of senior leadership, ineffective communications, and systemic disorganization,” it said.
(LONDON) — At least 330 cats in the United Kingdom have died from a rare illness that could be linked to toxins in cat foods that have been recently recalled.
The condition, called feline pancytopenia, is when the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets decreases rapidly and results in serious illness, according to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London.
As of Monday, Aug. 2, at least 528 cases of feline pancytopenia have been reported, according to the RVC.
The RVC said the mortality rate among reported cases is 63.5% and the actual number of cases is likely much higher.
The RVC first raised the alarm about the spike in severe feline pancytopenia cases in late May. To date, the cause of the deaths is yet to be officially identified.
The RVC and Food Standards Agency in the UK (FSA) are investigating the cat deaths and possible causes.
The agencies are looking into several cat food brands — including Sainsbury’s hypoallergenic cat foods and Pets at Home’s Applaws and AVA cat foods — that were recalled in June. The FSA said the outbreak of pancytopenia could be linked to the recalled cat products.
“Our investigations are ongoing and we are still collecting data from practicing veterinarians, as well as testing food samples associated with affected and unaffected cats to determine the significance of these findings. We have shared our results with the FSA in order to assist them with their investigations into this matter,” RVC said in a statement.
The dry cat food brands pulled off shelves were manufactured by Fold Hill Foods. The company told ABC it “issued a voluntary and precautionary recall of selected cat food products after the FSA made us aware they were investigating a potential link between these cases and diet. This was fully supported by the FSA.”
“As stated by the FSA, there is no definitive evidence to confirm a link at this stage between the cat food products and feline pancytopenia,” a spokesperson for Fold Hill Foods said, noting it is cooperating with the investigation. “As cat owners ourselves, we fully understand how upsetting and stressful this situation is and the urgent need to establish why there has been an increase in cases of Pancytopenia in the U.K.”
The FSA said in a July 16 update that the presence of mycotoxins was identified “in a small number of samples of recalled cat food tested to date.”
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds naturally produced by some kinds of fungi, according to RVC. They can grow on different crops like grains and vegetables and appear on foods like cereals, nuts, and dried fruits, often under warm and humid conditions, the RVC said.
“Mycotoxins are widely found in some types of feed and food and do not, in themselves, indicate they are the cause of feline pancytopenia,” the FSA said.
The FSA and other regulators are continuing to investigate and will conduct wider samples and screenings for any possible toxins in cat feed.
Sainsbury told ABC News it is supporting the investigation. Pets at Home said in a statement it voluntarily recalled its products and supports the investigation as well.
Pet owners should check their cat food at home to make sure they’re not using recalled items. If yes, stop feeding the food immediately and contact local vets if concerned about a pet’s wellbeing, the FSA said.
It’s unclear if pets in the U.S. have been impacted.
(WASHINGTON) — The White House on Thursday hit back at Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after he told President Joe Biden he will stand “in his way” while the country experiences an alarming surge of COVID-19 cases, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying the “facts” about hospitalizations in Florida speak for themselves.
At Thursday’s briefing with reporters, ABC News Correspondent Stephanie Ramos raised DeSantis’ latest fundraising push using the president’s comments from Tuesday urging DeSantis to help or “get out of the way,” and she asked whether Biden is considering reaching out to DeSantis.
“Well, first, from Day One, we’ve approached this not as a political issue but a public health issue,” Psaki began. “We remain in touch with officials in Florida, just like we’re in touch with officials from around the country about how we can provide assistance from the federal level to help address this public health crisis.”
Then, she turned up the heat.
“It is a fact — and data that you all are aware of — that 25% of hospitalizations in the country are in Florida. It is also a fact that the governor has taken steps that are counter to public health recommendations. So, we’re here to state the facts,” she said.
“Frankly our view is that this is too serious, deadly serious to be doing partisan name-calling,” she continued. “We’re focused on providing public health data information to the people of Florida to make sure they understand what steps they should be taking, even if those are not steps taken at the top of the leadership in that state.”
At least four school districts in Florida say they are pushing back against the governor’s mask ban.
In the last 24 hours, the country has seen 864,000 vaccinations in the last 24 hours, the highest daily number since July 3, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.
Florida is among the seven states officials named that have some of the lowest vaccination rates and “account for about half of new cases and hospitalizations in the past week, despite making up less than a quarter of the U.S. population,” Zients said.
(PHOENIX) — The Justice Department is opening an investigation into the policing practices of the Phoenix Police Department and the city of Phoenix, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday afternoon.
The investigation will examine whether the Phoenix Police Department uses excessive force, whether it engages in discriminatory policing practices, whether the department violated the First Amendment by retaliating against protesters and whether the department discriminates against people with disabilities.
This is the third pattern or practice investigation the Justice Department has opened during the Biden administration. Earlier this year, the DOJ opened investigations into the Louisville Police Department and Minneapolis Police Department.
“Each time I have noted that these investigations are aimed to promote transparency and accountability,” Garland said. “This increases public trust, which in turn increases public safety.”
Garland noted in his remarks that one important aspect of the investigation will be examining whether the Phoenix Police Department violated the rights of individuals experiencing homelessness by seizing or disposing of their belongings in a manner that violates the Constitution.
“Our society is straining the policing profession by turning to law enforcement to address a wide array of social problems,” Garland said. “Too often we ask law enforcement officers to be the first and last option for addressing uses that should not be handled by our criminal justice system. This makes police officers’ jobs more difficult, increases unnecessary confrontations with law enforcement and hinders public safety.”
The DOJ’s civil rights chief Kristen Clarke said the investigation was opened after a review of court files, media reports and citizen complaints, but she declined to say whether there was any “final straw” that led to Thursday’s formal announcement.
She said local officials in the city were contacted Thursday about the probe and the mayor and chief of police “pledged their full support.”
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego tweeted out a statement Thursday, saying police reform has been a priority since she took office and she welcomes the review.
“The reccomendations that will result from this review will assist in our ongoing efforts to become an even safer, stronger, more equitable city,” it said.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Amazon has pushed back the date for tech and corporate employees to return to office to 2022, as COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant continue to rise.
The company, which previously planned for employees to return the week of Sept. 7, has postponed reopening its doors to workers until at least Jan. 3, the company confirmed to ABC News.
The tech giant said it will continue to follow local government guidance in planning to reopen work spaces.
It’s not clear whether Amazon will require employees to be vaccinated to return to the office, but the company did tell ABC News it will require employees to wear masks in the office unless they can verify they’re fully vaccinated.
The move comes as other large companies, including several tech rivals, have made similar announcements on delaying return to in-person work and mandating staffers get vaccinated.
Microsoft announced earlier this week that return-to-office plans would be delayed to October, and employees will be required to be fully vaccinated to enter U.S. offices and work sites, The Associated Press reported.
Google, Facebook, Uber and a number of hospitals have announced similar requirements.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — The first woman to publicly accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment plans to sue him for allegedly retaliating against her after she came forward.
Lindsey Boylan, who formerly worked as an aide to the governor, spoke out in December in a series of tweets claiming Cuomo “sexually harassed me for years.”
“Our plan is to sue the governor and his and his coconspirators,” Boylan’s attorney, Jill Basinger, told ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” citing the retaliatory actions outlined in the New York attorney general’s scathing report published Tuesday.
The report substantiated sexual harassment claims of 11 women and found that he contributed to a hostile work environment. The report also found that Cuomo’s office retaliated against Boylan after she came forward.
Cuomo has denied the allegations raised by Boylan and all other accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Basinger said the next step for her and Boylan is to file a lawsuit.
“There is no question that Lindsey was harassed, that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and that she was assaulted. But most problematically, she was retaliated against, not just by the governor, but by his inner circle, both inside the government and out,” Basinger said. “There was an entire conspiracy to diminish her and to hurt her credibility, and we find that to be the most offensive part of all this.”
When asked if she’s confident the suit will succeed, Basinger said she was.
“The attorney general and the investigators, after looking at all the facts, after doing an exhaustive examination, found with no ifs, ands or buts that Lindsey was 100% retaliated against,” Basinger said.
The report concluded that Cuomo allegedly violated federal and state law in retaliating against Boylan, and he and some senior staff in his office “actively engaged in an effort to discredit her.”
The report said that the executive chamber, along with a group of outside advisers, “engaged in a series of retaliatory actions” that included disseminating confidential and privileged files relating to complaints made against Boylan to the press, and drafting a proposed op-ed “that contained personal and professional attacks” on Boylan that was shared with current and former executive chamber employees. That draft was never published.
“The Governor and some of his senior staff questioned at the time (and continue to question) Ms. Boylan’s motivations, claiming that she made her allegations of sexual harassment for political reasons, i.e., to bolster her political campaign, or generally to be vindictive or retaliatory herself. But retaliation is unlawful regardless of whether the employer believes the complainant is acting with a good faith belief that she was harassed,” the report said.
Cuomo’s lawyer, Rita Glavin, denied Boylan’s sexual harassment allegations in a response released after Tuesday’s report. The response did not touch on the Cuomo’s alleged retaliation efforts.
“I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said in a video statement following the report’s release Tuesday. “That’s not who I am.”
At the moment, the governor is facing investigations by multiple district attorney offices across New York that are looking into alleged incidents outlined in the report that possibly took place in those jurisdictions and could possibly lead to criminal charges. Experts have said the most serious accusations, if proven, could lead to misdemeanor charges.
At the same time, the New York State Assembly’s impeachment investigation into Cuomo is ongoing, and may ramp up soon.
The Assembly’s Judiciary Committee said Thursday the committee’s investigation “is nearing completion” and the Assembly “will soon consider potential articles of impeachment.” The Judiciary Committee requested the governor produce evidence or written submissions for consideration in the probe, due Aug. 13.
The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet in Albany on Monday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the impeachment probe.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Wildfires in the West have spread so rapidly amid continuing dry, gusty conditions that a Northern California town has been destroyed.
Firefighters had made progress on containing the Dixie Fire, the largest in California, which has been burning near Feather River Canyon for weeks. But after the fire jumped containment lines earlier this week, it exploded, consuming an additional 48,000 acres on Wednesday alone.
The blaze destroyed homes and businesses in the downtown neighborhood of Greenville, about 150 miles northeast of Sacramento, as it ripped through the region.
Dramatic images show multiple structures engulfed in flames. The historic area of Greenville has been destroyed, leaving nothing but rubble behind, according to photographers who examined the ruins.
It is unclear how many structures have been destroyed.
Almost 100 wildfires are currently burning in the West, with the majority stretching from Northern California to western Montana, and there’s potential for more to spark as existing ones spread.
Much of the West is under critical fire danger alerts, with warnings issued for nine states from California to Colorado due to dry lightning threats and gusty winds that could reach up to 40 mph. Red flag warnings remain in effect through Thursday evening for dry and windy conditions.
The Dixie Fire has now scorched through more than 322,000 acres — more than 428 square miles — since it sparked on July 13 and is 35% contained.
The River Fire near Colfax, California, which prompted evacuations for several thousand residents, had burned through 2,400 acres by and is 0% contained.
Up to 40 structures have been destroyed by the River Fire.
Evacuations also have been ordered for the Monument Fire in Big Bar, California, and McFarland Fire in Wildwood, California. Both fires were spreading on Thursday.
Temperatures in Northern California, where the fires are burning, are expected to get hotter on Thursday, with Redding forecast to approach 100 degrees over the next few days.
Thermal, California, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, reached 122 degrees on Wednesday, making it the hottest August temperature ever recorded in the region.
Record highs also were reported in Palm Springs (122 degrees) and Kingman, Arizona (107 degrees).
Excessive heat warnings are continuing for Nevada, California and Arizona, where temperatures are expected to reach 115 degrees on Thursday.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck, Melissa Griffin, Max Golembo and Jenna Harrison contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 614,000 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 58.2% 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.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 05, 2:03 pm
Amazon pushes return to office to January 2022
Amazon said it’s pushing its return to office date from September 2021 to Jan. 3, 2022.
For those already in the office, masks are required if not fully vaccinated, Amazon said.
-ABC News’ Zunaira Zaki
Aug 05, 1:55 pm
Education secretary tells Florida, Texas govs.: ‘Politics doesn’t have a role in this’
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he’s ready to work with states like Texas and Florida when it comes to reopening schools safely, telling Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis, who have banned mask mandates in schools, that “politics doesn’t have a role in this.”
“Don’t be the reason why schools are interrupted,” Cardona said at Thursday’s White House press briefing. “Our kids have suffered enough.”
Cardona said “educators know what to do” and that it’s “critically important” that he has direct conversations with governors and state leaders.
“We want to be an ally and make sure that we’re supporting our students,” he said.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Aug 05, 11:35 am
US records highest number of daily vaccinations since July 3
The U.S. has seen 864,000 vaccinations in the last 24 hours, the highest daily number since July 3, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.
Among those 864,000 vaccinations were 585,000 first shots — the highest since July 1.
Zients said “Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi are now vaccinating people at a pace not seen since April.”
Tennessee has seen a 90% increase in first shots over the past two weeks and Georgia has recorded a 66% increase in first shots in the last two weeks.
However, seven states — Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi – which have some of the lowest vaccination rates, “account for about half of new cases and hospitalizations in the past week, despite making up less than a quarter of the U.S. population,” Zients said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 11:23 am
Yelp will show if businesses have vaccine requirements
Yelp now has a feature that will allow businesses to list if they have vaccine requirements.
The feature was mentioned at the White House’s COVID-19 briefing Thursday.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 10:06 am
Arkansas governor reverses course on masks in schools
In Arkansas, one of the states hit hardest by the delta variant, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has reversed course, lifting a previously signed ban on mask mandates.
Hutchinson told “Good Morning America” Thursday that masks are not needed in schools if students are vaccinated but he’s “particularly concerned” about kids under 12 who are too young to get the shot.
In those cases, he said, schools should have the option to enforce masks.
The governor added that he’s pushing vaccine efforts with high school students and “making sure the faculty is vaccinated.”
Aug 05, 8:45 am
Moderna vaccine 93% effective against symptomatic disease after 6 months
Moderna says its vaccine is 93% effective against symptomatic illness after six months (though this data collection ended before delta emerged in the U.S.).
Moderna said its booster candidates also demonstrate robust antibody responses to variants of concern, including delta.
Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge told “Good Morning America” Thursday that the Moderna vaccine offers protection from delta right after receiving it, but it’s not known yet if that’ll hold up through the winter. He called winter “the biggest test of that vaccine which is why we need to be vigilant and careful.”
Hoge said he thinks booster shots will be needed and that the company is “preparing options,” but he added that that’ll be for public health officials, not the company, to decide.
He also noted that Moderna’s goal is to be vaccinating kids under 12 by the end of the year. Moderna isn’t authorized for kids ages 12 to 17 yet, but Hoge hopes authorization could come “any day.”
Aug 05, 8:28 am
US ‘may sooner or later get another variant’ if spread not controlled: Fauci
Without control over the community spread of the delta variant, the virus has “ample opportunity to mutate,” so “you may sooner or later get another variant,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told “Good Morning America.”
Fauci warned that it’s possible a new “variant might be in some respects worse than the already very difficult variant we’re dealing with now, which is a major reason why you want to completely suppress the circulation of the virus in the community.”
There are still about 93 million eligible Americans who have not gotten vaccinated.
Fauci added, “People who say, ‘I don’t want to get vaccinated because it’s me and I’ll worry about me, I’m not having any impact on anybody else,’ that’s just not the case.”
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 05, 4:33 am
Tokyo sees 5,042 positive cases — a new record
There are 5,042 new positive COVID-19 cases in Tokyo as of Thursday, according to the city’s coronavirus information website.
Of those cases, 135 are severe and one has resulted in death.
It’s a new record for Tokyo and a 178% increase since last Thursday, as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the globe.
Aug 04, 8:32 pm
Over 15,000 new COVID cases in Texas
Texas reported 15,558 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the highest one-day count since Feb. 3, according to state health records.
The state has seen a major jump in cases in the last month, brought on by the delta variant, according to officials.
The seven-day average of new daily cases has increased from about 1,500 on July 2 to nearly 10,000 on Aug. 3, according to state health data.
As of Wednesday, 62.58% of Texas residents 12 and older have received at least one shot, according to the state health department.
Aug 04, 7:32 pm
Hundreds of students, school staff quarantined in Arkansas district
Hundreds of student and staff members from the Marion School District in Arkansas are now quarantined in only the second week of the school year, officials announced.
The state has a ban on school districts imposing a mask mandate.
On Tuesday, the district said 253 students would begin their two-week quarantine due to 15 cases that were reported in the schools. This came after 168 students were already quarantined last week.
“If all students and teachers had been wearing a mask appropriately- then today’s 15 positive cases would be isolated- but there would be no resulting quarantines for anyone else,” the district said in a statement.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters Tuesday he regretted signing the bill that banned masks in schools and urged the state legislature to amend the law to give schools the option.
Aug 04, 7:11 pm
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.
Aug 04, 6:30 pm
Hawaii issues vaccine mandate for middle, high school athletes
The Hawaii State Department of Education announced that all middle and high school athletes, athletic staff and volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 24 in order to participate in activities.
The rule affects students who are eligible for the vaccines, meaning they must be over 12.
“This decision was not made lightly because we know the important role athletics play in a well-rounded education, but we cannot jeopardize the health and safety of our students and communities,” interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement.
The start of the athletic season was delayed to Sept. 24 due to the state’s rising positivity rate, according to the department.
This is the first state to require vaccinations for its student athletes.
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Aug 04, 5:54 pm
Illinois governor issues mask mandate for schools
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that all pre-K through 12th grade schools and day cares must follow universal masking indoors regardless of vaccination status.
Pritzker said the state is facing a growing threat from the delta variant and noted that children under 12 aren’t yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.
“Far too few school districts have chosen to follow the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prescription for keeping students and staff safe,” he said at a news conference. “Given the CDC’s strong recommendation, I had hoped that a state mask requirement in schools wouldn’t be necessary, but it is.”
Aug 04, 4:27 pm
Surge pushing hospital staffing to breaking point
The latest delta surge is once again pushing hospital staffing to breaking points across the U.S.
In Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, some “facilities are experiencing substantial shortages of both clinical and support staff,” according to a Department of Health and Human Services planning document obtained by ABC News Wednesday.
In hard-hit Missouri, many hospitals “don’t have the staff to support a surge without further modification to operational strategies,” the document said.
At a Shreveport, Louisiana, hospital, where the number of COVID-19 patients are multiplying, nurse Melinda Hunt told ABC News, “To be honest, I probably cry most days at work. And I cry at home. I’m tired. I’ve been doing this a year and half. It feels like it’s never going to end.”
Aug 04, 4:08 pm US daily case average jumped 45% in the last week
The U.S. daily case average has climbed to more than 84,000, a 45.3% jump in the last week, according to federal data.
The daily case average is now more than seven times higher than it was six weeks ago.
All but three states are now reporting high (a seven-day new case rate ≥100) or substantial (a seven-day new case rate between 50-99.99) community transmission, according to federal data.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Aug 04, 3:08 pm
Delta variant now 93% of all sequenced cases in US
The delta variant now accounts for 93% of all sequenced cases in the U.S., according to the latest CDC data, which was collected over the last two weeks of July.
Delta accounted for just 3% of cases sequenced in late May.
Across the Midwest, described as HHS regions 7 and 8, delta made up 97% to 98% of cases. This includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 04, 2:55 pm
WHO chief: No booster shots until at least end of September
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on booster shots until more people from low-income countries have received a vaccine.
Low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 shots for every 100 people due to lack of supply, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said Wednesday.
A moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September will “enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated,” he said.
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in response that the U.S. doesn’t have to choose.
“We feel that it’s a false choice and that we can do both,” Psaki said Wednesday.
The U.S. has ordered enough supply for every American to get vaccinated, plus get a booster shot, according to the White House. The U.S. has already pledged to donate 580 million doses to the international community by 2022.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky and Zoe Magee
Aug 04, 2:27 pm
Hospitalizations could more than triple this month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that daily hospitalizations “will likely increase over the next four weeks.”
About 7,000 new COVID-19 patients are hospitalized each day right now. That may soar to 24,000 per day, according to the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst.
Aug 04, 2:11 pm
Fully vaccinated people susceptible to ‘long COVID’: Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that fully vaccinated people are also susceptible to “long COVID” if they have a breakthrough infection.
“We already know that people who get breakthrough infections and don’t go on to get advanced disease requiring hospitalization, they too are susceptible to long COVID,” Fauci told McClatchy. “You’re not exempt from long COVID if you get a breakthrough infection.”
As the delta variant surges, Fauci said, “there could be a variant that’s lingering out there that can push aside delta.”
“If another one comes along that has an equally high capability of transmitting but also is much more severe, then we could really be in trouble,” he said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Aug 04, 1:40 pm
NY auto show canceled
The New York International Automobile Show, set to begin Aug. 20 in New York City, has been canceled due to the spread of the delta variant.
“All signs were positive” when planning began “but today is a different story,” show organizers said.
Aug 04, 1:30 pm
Louisiana hospitalizations reach all-time high
Louisiana now has 2,247 COVID-19 patients in hospitals — a new all-time high for the state.
This surpasses the previous record set Tuesday of 2,112 patients, the state’s Department of Health said.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has reinstated a mask mandate for the month of August.
The governor said Wednesday that he won’t mandate vaccinations for state employees until the FDA grants full approval.
He said 37.1% of the Louisiana population is fully vaccinated.
Aug 04, 11:47 am
The Offspring drummer says he’s not playing at upcoming shows because he’s unvaccinated
Pete Parada, the drummer for pop-punk band The Offspring, says he is not playing with the band at upcoming shows because he is unvaccinated.
Parada wrote on Instagram that he’s avoiding the shot on his doctor’s advice, saying he’s had a lifelong battle with the rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome and the vaccine’s “risks far outweigh the benefits.”
Because he’s unvaccinated, “it has recently been decided that I am unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour,” Parada said.
“I have no negative feelings towards my band,” he continued. “They’re doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same.”
-ABC News’ Evan McMurry
Aug 04, 11:15 am
Florida hospitalizations reach highest point in pandemic
Florida has 12,408 COVID-19 patients in hospitals — the highest number to date of the entire pandemic.
Florida hospitals report that more than 95% of COVID-19 patients are not fully vaccinated, according to state data.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Aug 04, 10:01 am
WHO chief: No booster shots until at least end of September
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on booster shots until more people from low-income countries have received a vaccine.
Low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 shots for every 100 people due to lack of supply, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said Wednesday.
A moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September will “enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated,” he said.
Aug 04, 9:20 am
Alabama hospital sees deadliest day of pandemic
Four COVID-19 patients at Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Alabama — all unvaccinated — died within 24 hours, marking the hospital’s deadliest day of the pandemic, The Anniston Star reported.
As delta surges, patients are now getting sicker faster, a doctor at the hospital told the newspaper.
Only 28% of residents in Calhoun County are fully vaccinated, according to The Anniston Star.
Aug 04, 8:24 am
Obama to ‘significantly scale back’ 60th birthday party
Former President Barack Obama has decided to “significantly scale back” his 60th birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard due to the spread of the delta variant, according to a spokesperson. Hundreds of guests were expected to attend.
“This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with covid safeguards in place. Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” spokesperson Hannah Hankins said in a statement.
Obama’s office did not give a new estimate of how many guests will attend.
