New Zealand entered a snap nationwide lockdown at its highest level Tuesday night after a 58-year-old man from Auckland tested positive for COVID-19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced.
Why it matters: This was the first coronavirus case detected in New Zealand for nearly six months and officials were concerned the man had the highly contagious Delta variant. By Wednesday morning local time, scientists confirmed he had the Delta variant and four other people had tested positive for the virus.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Tuesday. Abbott is "experiencing no symptoms" and is fully vaccinated.
Why it matters: Abbott has fought vehemently against public health measures such as mask and vaccine mandates.
While schools across the U.S. continue their gradual returnto in-person instruction, pediatric COVID surges across several states raise questions about what lies ahead for kids across the rest of the country.
Why it matters: As experts warn Delta may be more virulent in kids than previous versions of COVID and record numbers are hospitalized, it's raised new urgency around efforts to prevent rampant spread among kids and their families.
Wealthy countries — including some that have started giving some people third doses — have been receiving coronavirus vaccine doses that were either made in or intended for low- or middle-income countries.
Why it matters: This only widens the gap in vaccine access between wealthy and poor countries, which could ultimately have global consequences.
Most Americans support mandating masks in schools and vaccinations to return to the workplace, and they oppose states' efforts to ban such moves, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
But, but, but: The survey finds the Republican base going against the grain so disproportionately that it helps explain the defiant postures of many red-state governors.
Experts warn it's time to invest in higher-quality masks with a tight fit in the wake of the Delta variant, especially among the unvaccinated like children and other vulnerable populations.
Why it matters: Much of the public health message has been to persuade people to wear any mask let alone which kind to buy. Mask quality hasn’t been explained well enough, Michael Osterholm said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press.
The Biden administration is coalescing around a plan to give COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans, the New York Times first reported Monday night.
What to expect: The booster shots would likely be given in the order the initial round of vaccines were administered, or around eight months after someone received the first two mRNA shots or the single Johnson & Johnson jab, a Biden administration official told Axios. This could potentially begin in late September.
Nearly 6,000 students and over 300 staff members tested positive or have been exposed to COVID-19 in a Florida school district, officials announced Monday.
Why it matters: The alarming number of people in quarantine or isolation has prompted an emergency board meeting at Hillsborough County Public Schools — the seventh-largest district in the nation.
