U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations are averaging 100,000 per day for the first time since the winter surge. Southeast states warn they are running out of oxygen as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.
A Florida judge has blocked Governor Ron DeSantis’s rule banning schools from issuing mask mandates. The judge concluded that requiring masks during the pandemic is “reasonable and consistent with the best scientific and medical opinion in this country.” At least 10 school districts were already defying Governor DeSantis’s order.
In California, an unvaccinated, COVID-positive teacher infected half her class of 24 elementary students after removing her mask for storytime. The case study was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and dates back to May. Meanwhile, a CDC-backed study says that without masks or regular testing, over 75% of unvaccinated children could be infected with the coronavirus in the first three months back to school. With pediatric COVID cases surging, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday he supports a vaccine mandate for schoolchildren, though, for now, only students 12 and older are eligible to receive the shot.