COVID-19 live updates: Only two states don’t have high or substantial community transmission

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(NEW YORK) — 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.

Here’s how the news is developing Friday. All times Eastern:

Aug 06, 7:42 am
United to require all US employees be vaccinated by September

All U.S.-based United employees will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by September and must upload their vaccination card to the company website, the airline announced Friday. The move is the strongest vaccination requirement a U.S. airline has taken so far.

“For those employees who are already vaccinated — and for those employees who get vaccinated and upload their records to Flying Together before September 20th — we’ll offer an additional day of pay,” Scott Kirby and Brett Hart, the CEO and president of United, wrote in a memo to employees.

Employees will have until five weeks after Sept. 20 or five weeks after the Food and Drug Administration fully authorizes a COVID-19 vaccine to upload their cards. All three vaccines in the U.S. are currently being used under emergency use authorization.

Aug 06, 4:31 am
Tokyo sees 4,515 new positive cases

There are 4,515 new positive coronavirus cases in Tokyo as of Friday, according to the city’s COVID-19 information website.

It’s a 152.7% increase since last Friday.

Of the new cases, 141 are severe and four have turned fatal.

Aug 06, 1:53 am
There are now 387 positive cases at the Tokyo Olympics

As of Friday, there are 387 positive COVID-19 cases at the Tokyo Olympics, according to the Tokyo 2020 coronavirus positive case list.

This is an increase of 29 positive cases since Thursday.

All of the cases are either Tokyo 2020 contractors, Games-concerned personnel or media.

“Of the 726 U.S. Olympic delegates in Japan on Aug. 5, no COVID tests were confirmed positive based on daily results,” the International Olympic Committee tweeted.

Aug 05, 8:53 pm
Hawaii issues vaccine rules for state, county employees

Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Thursday that all state and county employees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination by Aug. 16 — or be subject to weekly testing.

Those who don’t comply “could be subject to termination,” Ige said.

It is unclear how many state and county workers are already vaccinated.

The mandate comes as the number of cases and hospitalizations in the state are “trending up dramatically,” Ige said.

Maryland and Virginia announced similar measures earlier Thursday.

Aug 05, 4:12 pm
Delta ‘sweeping over Mississippi like a tsunami’: Official

Mississippi is facing “a phenomenal increase in daily reported cases of COVID, and this is entirely attributable to the delta variant, which is sweeping over Mississippi like a tsunami,” state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Thursday.

Dobbs said 97% of new cases are among the unvaccinated, and that 89% of hospitalizations and 85% of deaths are unvaccinated.

Dobbs pleaded with the public to get vaccinated, stressing that the unvaccinated population is driving the current surge, but that vulnerable, vaccinated people are suffering the fallout.

“There is going to be some collateral damage, unfortunately, even folks who’ve done everything they can to protect themselves,” Dobbs said.

“The minority of folks who are vaccinated and hospitalized are overrepresented by the older and those with weaker immune system, so we’re seeing a pretty dramatic spillover effect from the transmission in the community to more vulnerable parts of our population,” he said.

Aug 05, 3:51 pm
New state employee vaccination rules issued in Virginia, Maryland

In Virginia, all 120,000 state employees must be vaccinated by Sept. 1, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

About 72% of employees are already vaccinated.

Anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated must get tested weekly, he said.

In Maryland, state employees at 48 state facilities must be vaccinated by Sept. 1, “or adhere to strict face covering requirements and submit to regular, ongoing COVID-19 testing,” Gov. Larry Hogan said.

The 48 facilities on the list include the Department of Health, Department of Juvenile Services, Department of Public Safety and Corrections and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Aug 05, 2:28 pm
Only 2 states not experiencing high or substantial community transmission

Nearly every state in the country is now experiencing case and hospitalization increases. Only two states — Vermont and Maine — are not reporting high or substantial community transmission, according to federal data.

The U.S. is now experiencing its steepest increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since the winter. More than 61,000 patients are now hospitalized across the country with COVID-19, according to federal data. About one month ago, 12,000 patients were in U.S. hospitals.

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Police searching for multiple suspects after 15-year-old fatally shot in Virginia

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(PORTSMOUTH, Va.) — Police are on the hunt for several suspects after a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot in Virginia earlier this week, authorities said.

The Portsmouth Police Department released surveillance videos that capture the deadly shooting, which occurred Monday on Chowan Drive in Portsmouth, near Norfolk.

One video “depicts several suspects getting out of a black 4-door vehicle, shooting at the victim, and returning to the vehicle,” the department said Wednesday.

Police also shared a still of the car believed to be involved in the shooting.

Another surveillance video captured a barrage of shots that police say were fired at the victim.

Dozens of evidence markers were visible on the street at the crime scene following the shooting.

The 15-year-old victim was taken to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries, according to Norfolk ABC affiliate WVEC.

Police did not share any further details on the shooting.

The boy is the fifth child under the age of 16 to be fatally shot in Portsmouth this year, according to WVEC.

Anyone with information is asked to call 757-393-8536.

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Woman pulled from car, attacked by mob of dirt bike, ATV riders, officials say

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(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) — Police are investigating after a mob of ATV and dirt bike riders allegedly pulled a woman out of her car and beat her in a late-night attack in Providence, Rhode Island — the latest incident in what officials are saying is a spate of “out of control” violence.

The incident happened Tuesday night, officials from the mayor’s office said. Around 11:30 p.m., the 35-year-old victim had honked her horn at a group of ATV and dirt bike riders after they failed to move through two green lights, according to ABC Providence affiliate WLNE.

As she drove away, the group surrounded her car and several riders opened the driver’s side door, dragged her onto the street and began assaulting her, according to WLNE.

Cellphone video obtained by WLNE showed the woman on her knees in the street while an assailant repeatedly punched her.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said the woman was “shaken and injured” in the “awful incident.”

The ATV and dirt bike riders reportedly fled.

The victim hurt her head and knees but did not need to be hospitalized, according to the Providence Journal. The paper reported that the driver’s friend and the friend’s 8-year-old daughter were in the car at the time of the attack.

ABC News has reached out to the Providence Police Department for updates on the incident.

The assault is the latest in a string of violence that has plagued the capital city, including a drive-by shooting Sunday that fatally killed a 24-year-old woman, leading to calls for stronger enforcement.

On Friday, Providence City Council President John Igliozzi sent a letter to Gov. Dan McKee requesting that Rhode Island State Police troopers be deployed to the city to assist police in confronting the crime wave.

“As you know, the headlines regarding crime in the city of Providence over the last few weeks have been shocking — murders, drive-by shootings, stabbings, gang incidents and roving throngs of ATV and dirt bike riders terrorizing our neighborhoods,” Igliozzi wrote.

“This wave of violent crime is unacceptable, and we need to act immediately to restore public safety and make our city’s residents once again feel safe walking and sitting outside in their own neighborhoods,” the letter continued, which pointed to a lack of staffing in the police department as an issue.

“The gun violence, the physical attacks and reckless behavior of individuals in our city have resulted in grief, loss and fear in our community,” he said in a statement. “It is time for the city to take decisive action to put a stop to this senseless violence and better serve the people trying to make a home in the city of Providence.”

A meeting will be scheduled for early next week, Igliozzi said.

Providence officials have also been working for years to address people illegally riding ATVs on city streets, especially during the summer.

“We will continue to dedicate all our available resources to getting these illegal ATVs off our streets and to bring those responsible to justice,” Elorza said in a statement.

Police have seized and destroyed over 200 bikes since 2017, according to the mayor’s office.

“[We] will continue to pull over and arrest people who are using these bikes illegally,” the mayor said.

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Biden signs measure awarding Congressional Gold Medal to police who defended Capitol

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(WASHINGTON) — Nearly seven months to the day a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a bill awarding Congress’ highest honor — the Congressional Gold Medal — to law enforcement officers he said defended democracy on Jan. 6.

“We cannot allow history to be rewritten. We cannot allow the heroism of these officers to be forgotten. We have to understand what happened — the honest and unvarnished truth. We have to face it,” Biden said in remarks in the White House Rose Garden, speaking to lawmakers, law enforcement officers and their families.

Biden said the Jan. 6 assault presented a dark test of “whether our democracy could survive, whether it could overcome lies and overcome the fury of a few who were seeking to thwart the will of the many.”

“While the attack on our values and our votes shocked and saddened the nation, democracy did survive,” Biden said firmly. “Truth defeated lies. We did overcome. That’s because of the women and men of the U.S. Capitol Police, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement officials we honor today.”

Police officers fielded greetings from some of the lawmakers they protected, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Rule Committee Chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and other senators who co-sponsored the bill, for the afternoon ceremony.

Also present was the mother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who lobbied Congress to pass legislation for a bipartisan select commission to investigate the attack, which Senate Republicans ultimately blocked. Biden offered his condolences to Sicknick’s family and families of other fallen officers in his remarks, including the children of fallen Capitol Police officer Billy Evans who was killed in a separate attack on the Capitol in April.

“I offer you, not only our condolences but recognize your courage. The courage of your children. And you have our most profound gratitude,” Biden said.

The bipartisan legislation authorizes the creation of four medals — one for the Capitol Police, one for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC, one for display by the Smithsonian to acknowledge other agencies that helped defend the building and a fourth at the Capitol.

Biden said the medals would serve as a reminder of the truth of the attack.

“My fellow Americans, we must all do our part to protect and to preserve our democracy. It requires people of goodwill and courage to stand up to the hate, the lies, the extremism that led to this vicious attack,” he said. “It requires all of us working together — Democrats Republicans, Independents, on behalf of the common good to restore decency, honor and respect for our system of government.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking ahead of Biden, recalled returning to the Senate chamber around 8 p.m. after the riot and witnessing American democracy persevere.

“We gathered in the Senate chamber, in the same chamber where the New Deal was struck and the Great Society was forged, in the same chamber where the Interstate Highway System was started and voting rights were won. And in that chamber, just before 1 a.m., as officers stood guard, the final vote was tallied,” she said.

“As those officers continued, even at that late hour, to secure our Capitol, they secured our democracy. So, let us never forget that. And let us always remember their courage,” she added.

The Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass the legislation without a recorded vote, a rarity in a polarized Washington. The House passed the bill back in June with 21 Republicans voting against it.

“I am still stunned by what happened in the House, where 21 members of the Republican caucus voted against this legislation,” Schumer said Tuesday. “The Senate is different.”

The event falls in the grim shadow of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department announcing this week that two officers who responded to the Jan. 6 riot died by suicide in July.

It also comes as the House select committee investigates the Capitol attack, holding its first hearing in which lawmakers heard dramatic, emotional accounts from officers who defended the building. They all detailed fearing for their lives the day as the Capitol building devolved into “a medieval battle,” as one officer described it.

Some 140 police officers suffered injuries during the attack and 15 were hospitalized.

In the months since, law enforcement suicide experts say the families of those who responded to the incident say they’ve behaved differently. Karen Solomon, who runs Blue H.E.L.P, a nonprofit that works on reducing the stigma of mental health issues in law enforcement, told ABC News, “We are still ignoring the needs of some of the victims of this event — the police officers.”

Metropolitan Police Department officers Michael Fanone, also present on Thursday and seen sharing a hug with Pelosi, is among the voices who have flatly rejected any attempts to rewrite history and downplay the attack as something the country should move on from.

“The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful,” he said, slamming his fist on a congressional witness table last month. “I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them and the people in this room, but too many are now telling me that hell doesn’t exist or that hell actually wasn’t that bad.”

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes welcomes 1st child with partner Billy Evans ahead of criminal trial

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(SAN JOSE, Calif.) — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her partner Billy Evans welcomed their first child, William Holmes Evans, on July 10, in Redwood City, California, according to birth records obtained by ABC News.

The birth comes as Holmes is awaiting criminal trial for 12 counts of fraud, beginning Aug. 31 in San Jose, California. If convicted, Holmes could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of fraud. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The charges stem from allegations that Holmes, a Stanford dropout who became a media darling, engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors about her blood-testing company, and a separate scheme to defraud doctors and patients, according to the indictment.

During a pretrial hearing in June, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila stated there would be a quiet room for Holmes to tend to the newborn during breaks in the trial.

Holmes, 37, first informed the court of her pregnancy in March 2021, according to court filings. The news delayed the trial, previously scheduled for July 13, for a fourth time. The date had been moved three times due to the pandemic.

During a Zoom hearing following the filing, the prosecution voiced their frustration, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Leach saying it was “frustrating and disappointing to learn about this now.”

“Right or wrong, that is going to have a bearing on the jury’s perception of her,” Caroline Polisi, a federal white-collar criminal defense attorney, told ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis in “The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial” podcast. “Those types of things actually play a really large role in trials, even though they’re not supposed to.”

“Not only is that going to help her in her trial, but it will really help her in the event that she is convicted,” Polisi added. “The fact that she is a young, new mother is going to play into any potential sentence.”

However, defense attorney Jose Baez, famous for defending Casey Anthony, thinks it could backfire.

“I really think that could backfire because once a juror feels that one side is trying to manipulate them over another, they’re not going to like it,” he said.

Polisi and Baez, who are not associated with the trial, are among the top legal experts who will be appearing in “The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial,” an upcoming series of new episodes to ABC News’ No. 1 hit podcast, “The Dropout.” Each week, the podcast will take listeners inside the courtroom and track the trial with real-time reporting on the most important developments.

The new episodes will feature conversations between Jarvis and Holmes’ former colleagues and acquaintances, Theranos patients, top legal experts and others who will provide insight into the trial and Holmes.

The podcast will also bring listeners up to speed on the twists and turns since Holmes was first charged.

“The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial” debuts with two episodes on Aug. 31 and is available for free on major listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, Audacy and the ABC News app.

New episodes post Tuesdays throughout the trial with bonus episodes as news warrants. It is written by Rebecca Jarvis, Victoria Thompson and Taylor Dunn. Jarvis and Dunn are producers, and Thompson is executive producer.

ABC News’ Dea Athon contributed to this report.

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Despite delta, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally poised to ride again

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(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.”

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Arizona mom urges masks in classrooms after her kindergartner contracts COVID-19

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(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.”

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Blinken to meet ‘Havana syndrome’ victims amid ‘growing concerns’ about mysterious incidents

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(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.

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Over 300 cats die in the UK from illness that could be linked to toxic pet food

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(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.

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White House fires back at Florida’s GOP governor over handling COVID surge

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(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.

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