The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines Friday for how individuals can decrease their risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 during the upcoming holiday season.
Driving the news: Among the measures suggested are hosting outdoors or virtual celebrations, wearing a mask if not fully vaccinated, and using fans by open windows and doors to keep the air at indoor gatherings fresh.
The CDC advises against traveling unless fully vaccinated and wearing masks on public transportation.
"The safest way to celebrate is virtually, with people who live with you, or outside and at least 6 feet apart from others," the guidance adds.
Alaska activated crisis standards of care for 20 of the state's health care facilities Saturday, as it continues to deal with a surge in COVID-19 cases, the state's Department of Health and Social Services announced Saturday.
Why it matters: The move will allow the facilities to begin rationing medical care as needed. Alaska has seen the worst coronavirus diagnosis rates in the country recently, per AP.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said Sunday it is a "false narrative" to think that the coronavirus vaccines would become unnecessary if an antiviral drug announced by Merck receives federal approval.
Why it matters: Fauci's remarks on ABC's "This Week," come on the heels of the pharmaceutical company's announcement on Friday that an oral antiviral treatment it is developing might reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID.
Hospitals across most New England states are seeing full intensive care units and staff shortages as growing coronavirus cases continue to shake the region, AP reports.
Why it matters: The New England region has the highest vaccination rate in the country, per AP. However, the states are still reporting record case counts, hospitalizations and deaths, comparable to pre-vaccine peaks.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched in cities across Brazil on Saturday, calling for President Jair Bolsonaro's impeachment over his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, per Reuters.
Why it matters: Brazil's Senate is holding hearings that could lead to Bolsonaro's impeachment as the country's Supreme Court investigates his government’s handling of coronavirus vaccine contracts. Bolsonaro has threatened to reject the results of Brazil's October 2022 presidential election amid poor approval ratings.
As the world nears two years after the first reported cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, there's still a lot more we don't know about SARS-CoV-2's origins than we do know.
Why it matters: Accurately determining the causes of COVID-19 will go a long way toward informing what can and should be done to prevent the next pandemic.
The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged members at a conference on Saturday to take precautions when it comes to COVID-19 and thanked those who have followed church guidance, which includes getting vaccinated, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: The Mormon Church, one of the largest Christian denominations in the U.S., has faced internal division among its 16 million members worldwide over pandemic guidelines.
Thousands of women gathered in Washington, D.C., and several other cities in the United States and around the world to march for abortion rights in response to the Supreme Court's recent decision to allow Texas' new restrictive abortion law to go into effect.
Why it matters: Texas' new law, which went into effect in early September, is one of the most restrictive abortion bans to be enforced since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.
The World Bank announced plans Thursday to give Nigeria $400 million to help fund COVID-19 vaccines for its citizens.
Why it matters: The World Bank stated that the additional funding, provided through the International Development Association, would help Nigeria vaccinate 51% of its citizens in two years.
The Broadway hit “Aladdin” announced Friday it temporarily put Genie back in the lamp and canceled all future shows until Oct. 12 because of breakthrough COVID-19 cases among cast members.
Why it matters: The show had just reopened Tuesday after being dark for 18 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: A summer of division over vaccine and masking mandates only added to the surge in cases caused by the Delta variant. The U.S. went from 600,000 deaths to 700,000 in the span of three-and-a-half months.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) voiced alarm and frustration about the surge of COVID cases in her state on Friday, decrying comparisons of mask mandates to Nazism.
Why it matters: Alaska's number of weekly cases has steadily increased in recent months, jumping 10% from just last week, according to state health data. Meanwhile, anti-vaxxers continue to protest mask and vaccine mandates in increasingly hostile situations.
