More than 100,000 Americans are now in the hospital with COVID-19.
Whyit matters: It's the first time since January that coronavirus infections have surpassed 100,000. Hospitals and state health officials say the spike is driven by unvaccinated adults nationwide.
Air Canada said Wednesday the company would begin requiring all employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Oct. 30, or risk termination or unpaid leave.
Why it matters: The announcement comes as other airlines have instituted their own vaccine policies, with Delta Airlines imposing a monthly $200 surcharge on unvaccinated employees enrolled in the company's health care plan.
A U.S. intelligence review into the origins of COVID-19 has reportedly proved inconclusive, even as WHO experts warn that time is running out to do further studies on the question.
Why it matters: We don't need to know how COVID-19 emerged to finally defeat the pandemic, but clearer answers will help prevent the next big outbreak — whether it comes from nature or human action.
Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges earlier this year in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday, according to AP.
Why it matters: It's the first prison sentence handed down in the case. Prosecutors are signaling to the other defendants awaiting trial that Garbin has shared many details about the plan while cooperating with investigators.
The World Health Organization said Wednesday during a media briefing that the data on the need for or benefits of a coronavirus booster shot is inconclusive.
The big picture: The agency said that besides booster evidence being inconclusive, it's also a "moral and ethical" issue because not every country in the world has access to vaccines.
Delta Air Lines' decision to charge unvaccinated employees an extra $200 per month for health insurance signals that rewards alone aren't doing enough to measurably increase rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
Why it matters: Employers are playing a central role in getting more people vaccinated, but it's unclear how much, or if, these types of penalties will help.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged nearly 12,000 coronavirus deaths in the state that had not been reported by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration.
Why it matters: Cuomo had been criticized for his handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes early in the pandemic, and he faced allegations that his administration withheld data on coronavirus deaths in nursing homes in order to delay investigations.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced Tuesday that more than 100 Georgia National Guard troops will deploy to 10 hospitals around the state to help staff amid a COVID-19 case and hospitalization surge.
State of play: "This Georgia National Guard mission is in addition to the 2,800 state-supported staff and 450 new beds brought online I announced last week, at a total state investment of $625 million through December of this year," Kemp stated in a news release.
Delta Air Lines will impose a monthly $200 surcharge on unvaccinated employees enrolled in the company's health care plan, CEO Ed Bastian announced in a memo Wednesday.
Why it matters: The move makes Delta the first major U.S. company to impose a monetary penalty on workers who choose to remain unvaccinated, according to Bloomberg.
The Pentagon on Wednesday ordered military troops to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, according to a memo from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin obtained by AP.
Why it matters: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that "on the active duty force, 68% is fully vaccinated, and we estimate just over 76% have at least one dose."
A booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine offers a significant increase in antibodies, the company announced Wednesday.
Driving the news: People who received a booster shot six to eight months after their first J&J dose saw "a rapid and robust increase in spike-binding antibodies, nine-fold higher than 28 days after the primary single-dose vaccination," J&J said.
The National Rifle Association has canceled its annual meeting in Houston because of concerns about the rising rate of COVID-19 infections in Texas, the organization announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Texas, like much of the U.S., is experiencing a surge in cases driven by the highly-contagious Delta variant.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby tells Axios that his early decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all of his nearly 67,000 U.S. workers was an easy one: He's already seen too many employees die.
What he's saying: “For me, the fact that people are 300 times more likely to die if they’re unvaccinated is all I need to know," Kirby said. "It's about saving lives."
More than 77% of America's ICU beds are being used right now as hospitals grapple with a crush of severely ill COVID patients, almost all of them unvaccinated.
Why it matters: Hospitals are once again overwhelmed, and this time, they're also facing staff shortages and burnout that only make matters worse, especially in the face of illness that was largely preventable.
Americans are being asked to get screened for certain diseases earlier in their lives as emerging evidence shows they are at increasing risk for diseases historically seen in older adults.
Driving the news: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on Tuesday lowered the recommended starting age to screen for Type 2 diabetes from age 40 to 35, and said overweight or obese adults at risk for prediabetes should be screened at ages 35 to 70.
Ohio State University will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the fall semester, the institution announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: OSU, with some 66,000 students and 30,000 staff, is one of the first large state universities to impose such a widespread vaccine mandate that isn't just for students, the New York Times notes.
