As a fourth COVID-19 wave surges nationwide, some hospitals have refrigerated mortuary trucks on standby in case deaths increase and overburden hospital morgues.
Here are nine updates to know:
1. Here's how vaccination rates are changing in each state. Rates are up in 46 states and down in four.
2. As of Aug. 24, Florida is reporting more COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths than at any other point of the pandemic thus far.
3. The U.S. likely will offer booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans six months after their last COVID-19 vaccine was administered, departing from the eight-month gap that originally was announced.
4. Here are the healthcare organizations that are requiring COVID-19 vaccination for employees.
5. Pfizer's fully FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine now will be marketed as Comirnaty for people ages 16 and older. The shot is still available under emergency use authorization for people ages 12 and up. Here are four quick facts.
6. As of Aug. 25, Oregon, Kentucky and Hawaii set pandemic records for COVID-19 hospitalizations amid the latest wave.
7. Some hospitals in the South have refrigerated mortuary trucks on standby in case COVID-19 deaths increase and overburden hospital morgues.
8. Unvaccinated people in Los Angeles County, Calif., were about 29 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to fully vaccinated residents this spring and summer, according to the CDC's Aug. 24 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.
9. Hospitals and health systems in the U.S. experienced both patient volume declines and financial setbacks in July as COVID-19 cases spiked because of the rapid spread of the delta variant.