Florida’s largest school district on Aug. 18 imposed a mask mandate in defiance of the state’s governor, another chapter in the coronavirus political battle in the southern United States where new infections are highest.
The United States reported more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths on Aug. 17 – equating to around 42 fatalities an hour – according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to ravage parts of the country with low vaccination rates.
Fans attending baseball, football and outdoor music events in Los Angeles County will be required to wear a mask starting on Aug. 20 regardless of their vaccination status, according to an order on Aug. 17 from the health department.
The cities of San Francisco and New Orleans on Aug. 12 ordered patrons to show proof of Covid-19 vaccinations to enter restaurants, gyms and other venues, joining New York in a severe step designed to contain the fast-spreading Delta variant.
California on Aug. 11 became the first U.S. state to require that its teachers and other school staff be vaccinated or regularly tested for Covid-19, a move Governor Gavin Newsom called “a responsible step” to ensure the safety of children.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said on Aug. 4 the drugstore chain had administered more than 29 million Covid-19 vaccines at its stores so far, led by a surge in parts of the United States that had lagged in vaccinations.
Americans fully vaccinated against Covid-19 should go back to wearing masks in indoor public places in regions where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, U.S. health authorities said on July 27.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set on July 27 to recommend fully vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in at least some instances, as the more highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a surge in infections, sources said.
People who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine may need a booster shot to fend off some of the worrisome coronavirus variants now spreading worldwide, a study suggests.
U.S. President Joe Biden said the Centers for Disease Control is likely to advise that kids who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 should wear masks when they return from summer holidays to school in the fall.
