The Delta variant continues to run rampant across the U.S. and is causing major problems for hospitals, which are rapidly losing valuable staff and resources to the pandemic.
Doctors and nurses, already under extreme pressure, have told reporters they fear the worst is yet to come as admissions increase and ambulances are left backed up in parking lots.
Most blue states remain keen to push ahead with restrictions, including California, which will become the first state to require all teachers and school staff to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Some red states, however, are continuing a cycle of lawsuits and emergency legislation against such mandates, claiming they infringe upon people’s personal freedoms.
Elsewhere, officials in Australia continue their struggle to contain a cluster of Delta variant cases in Sydney, posing a serious threat to the country’s zero-COVID approach. In capital city Canberra, a lockdown has been issues after just one infection.
Follow Newsweek’s liveblog for all the latest.
How many people will the FDA’s booster jab decision affect?
The FDA action will mostly affect organ transplant patients who take immune-suppressing drugs, as well as others with diseases, including blood cancers, which weaken the immune system.
Totalling around 3 percent of U.S. adults, top doctors have told the FDA that making the immunocompromised eligible for an booster shot is preferable to having worried patients seek out illicit medication.
New Zealand to open borders from early 2022
The country, which prides itself on having a relatively low number of cases compared to most others, will take the bold step of allowing tourists into the country for the first time in almost 18 months.
As plans stand, fully vaccinated travelers from low-risk countries would not be required to quarantine but those arriving from medium-risk countries would need to complete some form of quarantine. Those arriving from high-risk countries or those who were unvaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, would need to stay 14 days in a quarantine hotel run by the military.
For now, the rush is on to get as many Kiwis vaccinated before the end of the year.
Good morning and welcome to Newsweek’s liveblog
A growing number of hospitals are reporting critical staff shortages and a worsening situation overnight as the Delta variant rips through states.
Later we will find out if the FDA will approve booster jabs for the most vulnerable and be able to report the latest as the U.S. wakes up.
Eyes are also on Australia and New Zealand amid fears the zero-COVID strategy could succumb to Delta’s infectiousness.
Stick with Newsweek’s liveblog throughout Thursday for all the latest on COVID in the U.S. and around the world.
