'Steady increase' in vaccines in past month, White House says

The U.S. saw its largest single-day increase in nearly nine months Friday.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Morgan Winsor, and Marlene Lenthang
Last Updated: August 2, 2021, 7:10 AM EDT

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

More than 613,000 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 57.9% 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 on Tuesday, 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.

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Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Jul 28, 2021, 8:22 PM EDT

Defense Department to require masks in Pentagon

The Department of Defense said Wednesday that, effective immediately, masks are required for everyone in the Pentagon, regardless of vaccination status.

The updated mask guidance applies to all service members, federal employees, onsite contractor employees and visitors to "installations and other facilities owned, leased or otherwise controlled by DoD in the Pentagon Reservation," the department said in a statement.

The Department of Defense had said on May 14 that fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks at any of its facilities.

Jul 28, 2021, 2:45 PM EDT

CDC predicts increase in cases, hospitalizations, deaths

In its weekly virus forecast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and daily deaths will increase over the next four weeks.

People wait in line at a Miami-Dade County COVID-19 testing site, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Hialeah, Fla.
Lynne Sladky/AP

Daily fatalities have increased by 30.7% in the last week.

Over 32,000 patients are now hospitalized across the country with COVID-19, a 43.2% jump in the last week. One month ago, just under 12,000 COVID-19 patients were receiving care across the country.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jul 28, 2021, 1:22 PM EDT

Google requiring vaccines for in-office workers

Anyone working on Google’s campuses must be vaccinated, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced Wednesday.

"Getting vaccinated is one of the most important ways to keep ourselves and our communities healthy," Pichai said.

Google also said it’s extending its global voluntary work-from-home policy through Oct. 18.

Jul 28, 2021, 12:00 PM EDT

US reports highest number of new cases in the world

The U.S. reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the world in the last week, according to the World Health Organization. The U.S. saw a 131% increase in new cases for the week ending July 25 compared to the previous week, according to the WHO’s epidemiological report.

People wear masks while walking in Grand Central Terminal on July 27, 2021, in New York.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A patient is brought on a gurney to the emergency department at AdventHealth hospital in Orlando, Fla., July 26, 2021.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The U.S. was followed by Brazil, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and India.

Globally, there were 3.8 million new cases in the last week, an 8% increase over the previous week. The number of new COVID-19-related deaths also increased sharply this week to over 69,000, a 21% jump from 57,000 deaths last week.

Healthcare personnel work in a coronavirus disease intensive care unit where they are dealing with a surge in cases of the Delta variant at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, July 23, 2021.
Intermountain Health via Reuters

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

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