COVID-19 live updates: Pediatrician warns parents, governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus

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

More than 617,000 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 58.7% 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 Tuesday. All times Eastern:

Aug 10, 3:12 pm

Hospitalizations among vaccinated on the rise 

The proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 cases among vaccinated people has risen sharply since spring, coinciding with the sudden rise of the delta variant, according to the CDC’s internal briefing slides reviewed by ABC News.

The finding doesn’t mean the vaccines aren’t working. People are still considerably less likely to wind up in the hospital or die if they are vaccinated, health officials have said.

The reality of more breakthrough cases also could be tied to the larger number of Americans getting vaccinated. While breakthrough cases remain relatively uncommon, the more people in the U.S. who are vaccinated increases the chances for breakthrough cases to be counted.

According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals who end up hospitalized tend to be elderly, medically vulnerable or live in long-term care facilities. They also are more likely to be asymptomatic and are hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19.

On July 17, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky estimated that 97% of hospitalizations were occurring among people who weren’t immunized.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Cheyenne Haslett, Eric Strauss and John Brownstein

Aug 10, 2:17 pm

Fauci says he supports vaccine mandates for teachers

Dr. Anthony Fauci supports a mask mandate for teachers, he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Tuesday.

“We are in a critical situation here. We’ve had 600,000+ deaths and we are in a major surge now as we’re going into the fall,” Fauci said. “I know people must like to have their individual freedom and not be told to do something, but I think we’re in such a serious situation now that, under certain circumstances, mandates should be done.”

Fauci said it’s only a matter of time until the FDA approves the vaccine and people shouldn’t use that as a reason to delay getting the shot.

“There’s no doubt that these vaccines are going to get fully approved,” he said. “You should consider this as good as fully approved and get vaccinated.”

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Aug 10, 1:26 pm

Austin down to just 2 available ICU beds

Only two intensive care unit beds were available for COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the Austin area Monday night, Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said, according to ABC Austin affiliate KVUE-TV.

There were 551 COVID-19 patients in area hospitals Monday, including 91 in the ICU, KVUE reported.

In the North Texas region, there are only two pediatric ICU beds available, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.

#BREAKING from Judge Jenkins.

Jenkins says in the 19 county North Texas region there are TWO pediatric ICU beds.

These aren’t just beds for #COVID ,these are all beds. pic.twitter.com/fqnmW8Voor

— Alex Rozier (@RozierReports) August 10, 2021

Aug 10, 12:20 pm

Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama leading nation in cases

Florida currently has the nation’s highest COVID-19 case rate, followed by Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi and Texas, according to federal data.

Across the country, 90% of counties — home to 98% of the U.S. population — have reported high (a seven-day new case rate ≥100) or substantial (a seven-day new case rate between 50-99.99) community transmission in the last week.

According to federal data, these states have high or substantial transmission in every county: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Aug 10, 11:04 am

New Americans getting vaccinated at the highest rate in over 2 months

New Americans are getting vaccinated at the highest rate in over two months, White House COVID-19 data director Cyrus Shahpar tweeted.

Tuesday just in: +618K doses reported administered (453K last Tuesday) with 424K newly vaccinated (302K). 7-day average reported for newly vaccinated is 503K. New people are getting vaccinated at the highest rate in over 2 months. Let’s Unite against COVID-19 ??

— Cyrus Shahpar (@cyrusshahpar46) August 10, 2021

There are currently 166,524,108 Americans ages 12 and up who are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Aug 10, 10:44 am

US hospitalizations could quadruple by Labor Day

More than 8,300 Americans are currently being admitted to hospitals each day for COVID-19.

The COVID19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst, used by the CDC, predicts that hospital admissions could skyrocket to as high as 33,300 per day by Sept. 4.

Even the lowest end of the forecast — 9,600 hospital admissions per day — is much higher than where we are now.

-ABC News’ Brian Hartman

Aug 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks

The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.

It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.

In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.

This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.

In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.

Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus

Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.

“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.

“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”

Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official

Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.

“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have

Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.

The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.

He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.

Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left

Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.

The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.

As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.

Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.

“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.

The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.

As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.

“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.

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