Several countries in Asia reinstate COVID-19 restrictions amid rapid infections

Several countries around Asia and the Pacific that are experiencing their first major surges of the coronavirus have rushed to implement tough restrictions.

California will still require masks inside schools, despite new CDC guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings, but despite that California said its mask guidance for schools will remain in place.

Delta variant poses more serious risk to unvaccinated people, including kids, doctors say

The delta variant of the coronavirus is the most contagious and now the dominant strain spreading fast throughout the U.S. Doctors said people who didn’t get the shot are driving the rate of infections, and part of that uptick includes children who aren’t able to get the vaccine.

US death rates fall for lung cancer, melanoma, report says

U.S. death rates from many types of cancer continued to decline, mostly in deaths from lung cancer and melanoma, according to a new report published Thursday.

Current COVID-19 vaccine program has saved nearly 300K lives, researchers estimate

A recent study from the Yale School of Public Health and the Commonwealth Fund estimates that without the current COVID-19 vaccine program, the U.S. would have added nearly 300,000 more people to its death toll.

Fauci says all 3 COVID-19 vaccines effective against delta variant

The delta variant is spreading in the U.S., particularly in areas with low vaccination rates, and has become the most dominant strain in the country.

Cold weather virus in summer baffles doctors, worries parents

The recent emergence of a virus that typically sickens children in colder months has baffled U.S. pediatricians and put many infants in the hospital with troublesome coughs and breathing trouble.

CDC asks appeals court to put cruise ruling on hold

Attorneys for the CDC have asked a federal appeals court to put on hold a U.S. district judge’s ruling that backed Florida in a fight about the cruise ship industry.

Fans banned at Tokyo Olympics after officials declare state of emergency

Fans were banned from the postponed Tokyo Olympics set to open in just two weeks after a state of emergency was declared on Thursday.

US unemployment claims tick up to 373,000 from a pandemic low

U.S. unemployment claims rose slightly last week by 2,000 to a total of 373,000, even as the economy and the job market appear to be rebounding.

Global COVID-19 death toll passes 4 million people

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has surpassed a staggering 4 million people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Delta variant now most common COVID-19 strain, CDC prediction suggests

The delta variant has likely surpassed the alpha variant as the most common linage of COVID-19 in the United States, according to CDC data.

Amid delta variant rise, Biden outlines latest plan to increase COVID-19 vaccinations

President Joe Biden said his administration will increase efforts to deliver vaccines into communities as the COVID-19 delta variant cases continue to rise in several states.

Cruise ship fight between Florida, CDC heads to appeals court

The battle between Florida and the CDC about cruise-industry restrictions is now heading to an appeals court after a federal judge last month sided with the state.

Michigan boy, 13, dies after second COVID-19 vaccine shot

The CDC is investigating why a 13-year-old Michigan boy died in his sleep after receiving his second COVID-19 vaccine dose.