(NEW YORK) — The remnants of Hurricane Ida are dumping flooding rain, spawning tornadoes across the Northeast and causing deaths across the tri-state area.

A flash flood emergency was declared for the first time in New York City as subway stations were turned into waterfalls and Midtown streets became rivers. New York City also declared a state of emergency, and as of Thursday morning, at least eight people have died due to the extreme floods.

Early Thursday in Queens, the New York Police Department said that after responding to a flooding condition at a partially collapsed building, they found two people — a 43-year-old female and a 22-year-old male — unconscious and unresponsive inside. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was taken to the local hospital, where she later died. “The investigation is ongoing and the Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The identification of the deceased is pending family notification,” they said.

At a second flooded location in Queens, the NYPD said they found a 50-year-old male, a 48-year-old female and a 2-year-old male, unconscious and unresponsive, within the residence. They were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Also in Queens, police responded to a 911 call of a flooding condition and discovered a 48-year-old female, unconscious and unresponsive, within the residence. “The aided female was removed by EMS to Forest Hills Hospital where she was pronounced deceased,” they said. An 86-year-old woman also died in her Queens apartment due to flooding, police said.

After responding to a similar flooding incident in Brooklyn, the NYPD said officers found “a 66-year-old male, unresponsive and unconscious, within the residence.” He was pronounced dead at the scene.

New York issued a citywide travel ban just before 1 a.m. ET Thursday until 5 a.m.

“All non-emergency vehicles must be off NYC streets and highways,” the city said.

Every subway line in the city was suspended, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, due to so many flooded stations. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told ABC station WABC that people were being evacuated from subway cars stuck underground.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency to “help New Yorkers.”

“Earlier tonight I declared a State of Emergency in New York State within the counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester in response to major flooding due to Tropical Depression Ida,” she said in a statement, also encouraging New Yorkers to “please pay attention to local weather reports, stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel during this time.”

At least one person also died due to the flooding in Passaic, New Jersey, Mayor Hector Carlos Lora confirmed on Facebook Thursday morning. That makes 17 people who’ve died as a result of Ida in the U.S.

“It is … with an extremely heavy heart that I share unfortunately that we have confirmed the loss of a life within the city of Passaic and have unconfirmed reports of additional lives that may have been lost,” he said in a video, later explaining that the person was trapped inside their car, which was “overtaken by water.”

The mayor — who declared a state of emergency in the city — also said that two other residents are reported to have been swept away by the water. The search continues for them.

“We continue to receive reports of incidents that have occurred throughout the city. vehicles can be repaired, property can be replaced, but loss of life we cannot bring that back,” Lora said.

At the same time, he said, 60 residents are receiving temporary shelter in city hall.

“We have too many areas where the flooding has gotten so bad that cars are stuck and we have bodies underwater,” Lora said in a video posted to Facebook. “We are now retrieving bodies.”

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy quickly declared an emergency with 3 to 5 inches of rain falling per hour in some locations across the tristate area.

“We will use every resource at our disposal to ensure the safety of New Jerseyans,” Murphy tweeted. “Stay off the roads, stay home, and stay safe.”

He was not specific about how many people may have been killed or injured in the floods.

At Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, a baggage area was flooded and flights were grounded.

“We’re experiencing severe flooding due to tonight’s storm,” the airport’s account tweeted. “All flight activity is currently suspended & travelers are strongly advised to contact their airline for the latest flight & service resumption information. Passengers are being diverted from ground-level flooded areas.”

The U.S. Open, taking place in Queens, New York, had to pause one tennis match as the court was flooded — despite there being a roof over the court — due to rain coming in the side of the stadium.

Several homes were damaged in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, across from Philadelphia, after warnings went out about possible tornadoes.

“Gloucester County has experienced devastating storm damage,” the county said in a statement. “It is likely that multiple tornadoes have touched down within our communities. Our Emergency Operations Center is fully activated with multiple local, county, state, and regional partners assessing damages and deploying resources.”

In Gloucester County, 20-25 homes were “completely devastated,” and roughly 100 more sustained some damage, when a tornado ripped through Harrison Township, Wednesday, the mayor of the Harrison Township told ABC News.

Mayor Lou Manzo said the community is “blessed” that no one died and only one person had to go to the hospital, but the damage to property across the township is “extensive,” he said.

Fire and emergency personnel made “a few rescues” of people who became trapped after sheltering in their basement, according to the mayor.

There was also a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” located near Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, at about 6:30 p.m. and another “confirmed large and destructive tornado” over Beverly, near Trenton, at 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Early Thursday there were 101,652 customers without power in Pennsylvania, 73,348 in New Jersey, 51,931 in New York and 34,449 in Connecticut, according to poweroutage.us.

The Schuylkill River in Philadelphia is rising into major flood stage early Thursday morning and is forecast to rise a few additional feet before cresting around 9 a.m.. The National Weather Service has increased their predicted water level for the river to 17.2 feet, which would be greater than the highest recorded total of 17 feet. The rain has stopped, but flood risk continues, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management wrote on Twitter.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 642,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 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 61.5% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Sep 02, 9:37 am
Virginia’s Liberty University reports 430 COVID-19 cases among students

Liberty University switched all residential classes to be online and suspended indoor gatherings as the campus — which does not require vaccinations for students or staff — grapples with a new surge in COVID-19 cases.

The college reported 430 active cases of students with COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to ABC News’ local affiliate WSET-TV. This is more than the total number of cases at four neighboring Virginia colleges combined. The University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and James Madison University have reported a total of 125 students with active cases total.

The latter four universities require students to get the COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks, while Liberty does not require either.

Sep 02, 7:34 am
Africa set to miss COVID-19 vaccination goal, WHO warns

The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent, is set to miss the global goal of vaccinating the most vulnerable 10% of every country’s population against COVID-19 by the end of September.

Forty-two of Africa’s 54 nations — nearly 80% — will fall short of that target, set in May by the World Health Assembly, if the current pace of vaccine deliveries and vaccinations holds, according to the WHO.

“With less than a month to go, this looming goal must concentrate minds in Africa and globally,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in a statement Thursday. “Vaccine hoarding has held Africa back and we urgently need more vaccines, but as more doses arrive, African countries must zero in and drive forward precise plans to rapidly vaccinate the millions of people that still face a grave threat from COVID-19.”

With more COVID-19 vaccines expected to be delivered across Africa from the global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX as well as the African Union, the WHO said there could be enough doses to meet the 10% target. Nine African countries have already reached the goal and, at the current pace, three more are set to do so. Two more could meet it if they speed up vaccinations, according to the WHO.

But while many African nations have sped up vaccinations as shipments increased, the WHO said that 26 countries have used less than half of their doses.

So far, some 39 million people — just 3% of Africa’s population — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In comparison, 57% of people are fully vaccinated in the European Union and 52% in the United States, according to the WHO.

“The inequity is deeply disturbing,” Moeti said. “Just 2% of the over five billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa. Yet recent rises in vaccine shipments and commitments shows that a fairer, more just global distribution of vaccines looks possible.”

Sep 02, 6:33 am
WHO monitoring new ‘variant of interest’: Mu

The World Health Organization has added another version of the novel coronavirus to its list of “variants of interest” amid concerns it may mutate to the point of evading the immunity people have developed from vaccination or past infection.

The so-called mu variant, also known as B.1.621, was added to the list on Monday after it was detected in 39 countries around the world.

“The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” the WHO said in its COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update published Tuesday. “Preliminary data presented to the Virus Evolution Working Group show a reduction in neutralization capacity of convalescent and vaccinee sera similar to that seen for the Beta variant, but this needs to be confirmed by further studies.”

Sep 02, 6:05 am
Moderna to recall 1.63 million doses in Japan after discovery of stainless steel contaminants

American drugmaker Moderna and its Japanese distribution partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. announced Wednesday that they are planning to recall three suspended lots of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Japan after an investigation discovered stainless steel contaminants.

Last week, the Japanese government suspended use of the batches, containing about 1.63 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, following reports of foreign substances in some unused vials at multiple inoculation sites. Moderna told ABC News that one of the three lots received “several complaints of particulate matter” in its vials, while the two other adjacent lots were put on hold out of “an abundance of caution” and for continued assurance of quality.

An analysis confirmed the contaminants to be high-grade stainless steel, commonly used in manufacturing and food processing. The most probable cause of contamination was related to friction between two pieces of metal installed in the stoppering module of the production line due to an incorrect set-up. The contamination only impacted the lots that were included in the suspension, according to a joint press release from Moderna and Takeda.

The investigation was conducted by Moderna in partnership with Takeda and ROVI, the Spanish manufacturer that operates the production plant where the contamination occurred.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Wealth said in a statement Wednesday that, based on the companies’ investigation, it is unlikely the stainless steel particles pose any additional health risk.

The contamination raised further concern after two men, aged 30 and 38, died in Japan within days of receiving their second doses of the Moderna vaccine from one of the suspended lots. The cause of death in both cases remains under investigation.

Moderna and Takeda said there is currently no evidence that the fatalities were caused by the vaccine.

“The relationship is currently considered to be coincidental,” the companies said in a joint statement Wednesday.

Sep 02, 3:08 am
WHO opens global hub to ward off next pandemic

The World Health Organization opened a center in Berlin on Wednesday that will gather, assess and share information internationally to help prepare for the next global health crisis.

The so-called “WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence” is receiving an initial investment of $100 million from Germany and will be led by Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of Nigeria’s Center for Disease Control. The facility “will harness broad and diverse partnerships across many professional disciplines, and the latest technology, to link the data, tools and communities of practice so that actionable data and intelligence are shared for the common good,” according to a press release from the WHO.

“The world needs to be able to detect new events with pandemic potential and to monitor disease control measures on a real-time basis to create effective pandemic and epidemic risk management,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said in a statement Wednesday. “This Hub will be key to that effort, leveraging innovations in data science for public health surveillance and response, and creating systems whereby we can share and expand expertise in this area globally.”

“All the work that goes into pandemic and epidemic preparedness must occur before an outbreak starts,” Tedros added. “Data linkage and analysis, and the ability to better detect and assess risks of disease events in their earliest stages before they amplify and cause death and societal disruption, is what the WHO Hub will focus on.”

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic was the impetus for the hub’s creation.

“Despite decades of investment, COVID-19 has revealed the great gaps that exist in the world’s ability to forecast, detect, assess and respond to outbreaks that threaten people worldwide,” Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergency Program, said in a statement Wednesday. “The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is designed to develop the data access, analytic tools and communities of practice to fill these very gaps, promote collaboration and sharing, and protect the world from such crises in the future.”

Sep 01, 6:54 pm
US hospital admissions could surge to 22,000 a day by late September: CDC

On average, approximately 12,200 Americans are being admitted to the hospital each day with COVID-19. The forecast models used by the CDC suggest that by Sept. 27, that number could surge to as high as 22,400 a day.

The lower end of the forecast puts the daily hospital admissions at around 6,400.

There are signs the rate of hospital admission nationwide may be slowing, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting hospital admissions will likely “remain stable or have an uncertain trend over the next 4 weeks.”

Kentucky currently tops the list of states expected to see the most hospital admissions, per capita, in the next two weeks, followed by Florida and Georgia.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 642,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 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 61.5% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Sep 02, 7:34 am
Africa set to miss COVID-19 vaccination goal, WHO warns

The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent, is set to miss the global goal of vaccinating the most vulnerable 10% of every country’s population against COVID-19 by the end of September.

Forty-two of Africa’s 54 nations — nearly 80% — will fall short of that target, set in May by the World Health Assembly, if the current pace of vaccine deliveries and vaccinations holds, according to the WHO.

“With less than a month to go, this looming goal must concentrate minds in Africa and globally,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in a statement Thursday. “Vaccine hoarding has held Africa back and we urgently need more vaccines, but as more doses arrive, African countries must zero in and drive forward precise plans to rapidly vaccinate the millions of people that still face a grave threat from COVID-19.”

With more COVID-19 vaccines expected to be delivered across Africa from the global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX as well as the African Union, the WHO said there could be enough doses to meet the 10% target. Nine African countries have already reached the goal and, at the current pace, three more are set to do so. Two more could meet it if they speed up vaccinations, according to the WHO.

But while many African nations have sped up vaccinations as shipments increased, the WHO said that 26 countries have used less than half of their doses.

So far, some 39 million people — just 3% of Africa’s population — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In comparison, 57% of people are fully vaccinated in the European Union and 52% in the United States, according to the WHO.

“The inequity is deeply disturbing,” Moeti said. “Just 2% of the over five billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa. Yet recent rises in vaccine shipments and commitments shows that a fairer, more just global distribution of vaccines looks possible.”

Sep 02, 6:33 am
WHO monitoring new ‘variant of interest’: Mu

The World Health Organization has added another version of the novel coronavirus to its list of “variants of interest” amid concerns it may mutate to the point of evading the immunity people have developed from vaccination or past infection.

The so-called mu variant, also known as B.1.621, was added to the list on Monday after it was detected in 39 countries around the world.

“The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” the WHO said in its COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update published Tuesday. “Preliminary data presented to the Virus Evolution Working Group show a reduction in neutralization capacity of convalescent and vaccinee sera similar to that seen for the Beta variant, but this needs to be confirmed by further studies.”

Sep 02, 6:05 am
Moderna to recall 1.63 million doses in Japan after discovery of stainless steel contaminants

American drugmaker Moderna and its Japanese distribution partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. announced Wednesday that they are planning to recall three suspended lots of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Japan after an investigation discovered stainless steel contaminants.

Last week, the Japanese government suspended use of the batches, containing about 1.63 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, following reports of foreign substances in some unused vials at multiple inoculation sites. Moderna told ABC News that one of the three lots received “several complaints of particulate matter” in its vials, while the two other adjacent lots were put on hold out of “an abundance of caution” and for continued assurance of quality.

An analysis confirmed the contaminants to be high-grade stainless steel, commonly used in manufacturing and food processing. The most probable cause of contamination was related to friction between two pieces of metal installed in the stoppering module of the production line due to an incorrect set-up. The contamination only impacted the lots that were included in the suspension, according to a joint press release from Moderna and Takeda.

The investigation was conducted by Moderna in partnership with Takeda and ROVI, the Spanish manufacturer that operates the production plant where the contamination occurred.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Wealth said in a statement Wednesday that, based on the companies’ investigation, it is unlikely the stainless steel particles pose any additional health risk.

The contamination raised further concern after two men, aged 30 and 38, died in Japan within days of receiving their second doses of the Moderna vaccine from one of the suspended lots. The cause of death in both cases remains under investigation.

Moderna and Takeda said there is currently no evidence that the fatalities were caused by the vaccine.

“The relationship is currently considered to be coincidental,” the companies said in a joint statement Wednesday.

Sep 02, 3:08 am
WHO opens global hub to ward off next pandemic

The World Health Organization opened a center in Berlin on Wednesday that will gather, assess and share information internationally to help prepare for the next global health crisis.

The so-called “WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence” is receiving an initial investment of $100 million from Germany and will be led by Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of Nigeria’s Center for Disease Control. The facility “will harness broad and diverse partnerships across many professional disciplines, and the latest technology, to link the data, tools and communities of practice so that actionable data and intelligence are shared for the common good,” according to a press release from the WHO.

“The world needs to be able to detect new events with pandemic potential and to monitor disease control measures on a real-time basis to create effective pandemic and epidemic risk management,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said in a statement Wednesday. “This Hub will be key to that effort, leveraging innovations in data science for public health surveillance and response, and creating systems whereby we can share and expand expertise in this area globally.”

“All the work that goes into pandemic and epidemic preparedness must occur before an outbreak starts,” Tedros added. “Data linkage and analysis, and the ability to better detect and assess risks of disease events in their earliest stages before they amplify and cause death and societal disruption, is what the WHO Hub will focus on.”

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic was the impetus for the hub’s creation.

“Despite decades of investment, COVID-19 has revealed the great gaps that exist in the world’s ability to forecast, detect, assess and respond to outbreaks that threaten people worldwide,” Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergency Program, said in a statement Wednesday. “The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is designed to develop the data access, analytic tools and communities of practice to fill these very gaps, promote collaboration and sharing, and protect the world from such crises in the future.”

Sep 01, 6:54 pm
US hospital admissions could surge to 22,000 a day by late September: CDC

On average, approximately 12,200 Americans are being admitted to the hospital each day with COVID-19. The forecast models used by the CDC suggest that by Sept. 27, that number could surge to as high as 22,400 a day.

The lower end of the forecast puts the daily hospital admissions at around 6,400.

There are signs the rate of hospital admission nationwide may be slowing, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting hospital admissions will likely “remain stable or have an uncertain trend over the next 4 weeks.”

Kentucky currently tops the list of states expected to see the most hospital admissions, per capita, in the next two weeks, followed by Florida and Georgia.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.