Coronavirus Updates: Hospitalizations of people in their 30s hit record high

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations among people in their 30s increased by nearly 300% over the past month, according to an analysis of data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New COVID-19 hospital admissions among people between the ages of 30 and 39 are now the highest since the pandemic began, eclipsing the prior record seen in January, according to the data.

The alarming uptick is stretching health resources thin as many hospitals struggle to meet the demand of those who need crucial medical care.

"The system is breaking," CNN medical analyst, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, told CNN's Jim Acosta Saturday.

Here are more of today's headlines:

NYPD Detective dies of COVID

An NYPD Detective has died of COVID-19. Shantay Neal-Baker served in the risk mitigation division. She was with the department for 20 years. Neal-Baker is one of two NYPD detectives to die on the same day. 50th Precinct Sergeant Ryan Kenny died from a possible heart attack, according to Chief of Department Rodney Harrison.

Booster shots now available for some NJ residents

Some residents in New Jersey are getting another line of defense from the coronavirus starting this weekend.

It was a busy Saturday for vaccination centers around New Jersey, a day after the CDC's new guidance allowed for third doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for immunocompromised Americans.

In Essex County, more than 300 people received their third dose by noon at the Kmart site in West Orange, one of two locations, including Essex County College in Newark. And even more are expected.

Texas county judge issues dire warning about ICU beds for children

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging, and in Dallas County, Texas, there are "zero ICU beds left for children," county judge Clay Jenkins said in a news conference Friday morning.

"That means if your child's in a car wreck, if your child has a congenital heart defect or something and needs an ICU bed, or more likely if they have COVID and need an ICU bed, we don't have one. Your child will wait for another child to die," Jenkins said. "Your child will just not get on the ventilator, your child will be CareFlighted to Temple or Oklahoma City or wherever we can find them a bed, but they won't be getting one here unless one clears."

8 states make up half of US COVID-19 hospitalizations

As experts race to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by encouraging vaccinations and mask wearing, hospital systems in a handful of states are now straining to keep up with the surge.

Eight states, many of which have lagged the national average for vaccinations, have COVID-19 patients that account for at least 15% of their overall hospitalizations: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Of all Covid-19 hospitalizations, these eight states' combined totals make up approximately 51% of patients, though the states account for only around 24% of the nation's population, according to Census data.

"In the past week, Florida has had more COVID cases than all 30 states with the lowest case rates combined. And Florida and Texas alone have accounted for nearly 40% of new hospitalizations across the country," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday during a White House briefing.

NY reviewing guidance on COVID booster shots

New York health officials said Saturday they would soon issue state guidance on giving additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to people with severely weakened immune systems, now that the federal government is allowing them extra shots.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said Saturday that the state's vaccine task force met Friday to discuss the matter and would complete its review quickly.

In the meantime, he encouraged doctors to contact potentially eligible patients and "discuss the benefits of receiving an additional dose."

CVS, Walgreens offering 3rd COVID dose for immunocompromised

CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens are both now administering COVID-19 booster shots, but only for those with weakened immune systems.

CVS says people can schedule vaccination appointments on their website.

A spokesperson for the company said those who want the booster shot will also be required to confirm that they are immunocompromised during the scheduling process as well as when they get the third dose.

More US cities requiring proof of vaccination to go places

Hold on to that vaccination card. A rapidly growing number of places across the U.S. are requiring people to show proof they have been inoculated against COVID-19 to teach school, work at a hospital, see a concert or eat inside a restaurant.

Following New York City's lead, New Orleans and San Francisco will impose such rules at many businesses starting next week, while Los Angeles is looking into the idea.

The new measures are an attempt to stem the rising tide of COVID-19 cases that has pushed hospitals to the breaking point, including in the Dallas area, where top officials warned they are running out of beds in their pediatric intensive care units.

Supreme Court justice backs college's vaccine mandate

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has denied a request to block Indiana University's vaccine mandate for students heading back to college.

Barrett, who has jurisdiction over the appeals court involved in the case, acted alone and did not refer the matter to the full court.

This marks the first time the justices have been asked to weigh in on the legality of a mandate experts increasingly believe will combat the spread of COVID-19.

The move could signal that similar vaccine mandates will be upheld.

CDC panel votes to recommend booster shot for immunocompromised

The CDC's advisory panel voted unanimously Friday to recommend an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people.

The recommendation does not apply to those who have received the single-dose vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.

Alabama family speaks out after boy, 12, hospitalized with COVID-19

An Alabama family's life was turned upside down when their 12-year-old son, a healthy, strong athlete, caught COVID-19 and landed in the hospital struggling to breathe.

Brody Barnett, a seventh grader from Chilton County, and his family are speaking out to warn the public of the dangers of the delta variant.

5 key things to know about the delta variant

With the CDC estimating that the delta variant accounts for more than 90% of new COVID cases in the U.S., scientists are still learning more about what makes this variant different from prior versions of the virus.

There are dozens of COVID-19 variants. Some emerge and quickly fade away. Others emerge and sweep the globe. The delta variant first emerged in India in December 2020 and quickly became the dominant strain there and then in the United Kingdom.

Now, experts say there's good news and bad news when it comes to this new variant. Here's what we know now.

Father and son accused of using fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to vacation in Hawaii

Investigators with the Hawaii Attorney General's office arrested a father and son on Sunday when they reportedly tried to use fake vaccination cards at a Hawaii airport.

The pair were arrested at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu after flying there from California.

Mother, who is also cancer survivor, gets double lung transplant after COVID

A 52-year-old cancer survivor and mom in Illinois got a double lung transplant after a severe case of COVID-19, despite being vaccinated.

A wife, mother and grandmother, she beat cancer and then battled through months of hospitalization after contracting COVID-19. She spoke Thursday from her hospital bed while recovering from a double lung transplant.

Bratlien said her battle with COVID started in late April, a month after she got the vaccine.

Expert shares equation that shows even a 100% vaccination rate is not enough to stop Delta variant

Earlier in the pandemic, experts had hoped if we can get 75% of Americans vaccinated, we can contain the coronavirus.

Thursday, we're at just over 50% vaccinated. But 75% is no longer enough. The Delta variant has changed the equation, literally. A professor of epidemiology at Boston University recently tweeted equations that explain why Delta has made it mathematically impossible to beat the virus now with just the vaccine.

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