August 2, 2021 US coronavirus news

Germany will begin offering Covid-19 vaccine booster shots to people at risk starting September, Health Minister Jens Spahn said in a statement on Monday.

"With the option of a booster vaccination in September, we want to provide the best possible protection for the groups particularly at risk in the fall and winter. Because for them, the risk of a decline in vaccination protection is the greatest," Spahn said.

Germany’s health ministry said the booster shots given will be “one of the two mRNA vaccines." The mRNA vaccines currently approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Some more context: In July, Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) said people who receive a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine "should get an mRNA vaccine as their second dose, regardless of their age," in what was the world’s strongest recommendation for the mixing of Covid-19 vaccines on efficacy grounds. German Chancellor Angela Merkel helped pave the way for mixed vaccine use when she received the Moderna shot in June as her second dose following a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. STIKO said in July that "current study results" show that the immune response generated after a mixed dose vaccination "is clearly superior."

Spahn also announced Monday that children aged 12 to 17 years old who want to be vaccinated can be "after being informed by a doctor." The announcement came after he met with Germany's 16 regional health ministers.

He said officials in Germany's 16 states "also want to make a vaccination offer to this age group as low-threshold as possible" and said the decision is in line with the recommendations of STIKO.

STIKO previously announced in June that it only officially recommended the shot for 12- to 17-year-olds if they had pre-existing conditions or lived with people at high risk from Covid.

Just over 52% of German citizens are fully vaccinated and almost 62% have received at least one shot, according to the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease and control center.

Equinox Group announced Monday it will require members, riders and workers to show one-time proof of vaccination to enter its Equinox fitness clubs and SoulCycle studios in New York City.

The change, which will take effect in early September, will also apply to the company’s corporate offices.

Equinox said proof of vaccination status can be provided by showing a physical vaccine card, a photo of the card, or digital vaccine cards. The company said it will work with members, riders and employees who require medical or religious accommodations.

Equinox cited a recent survey it conducted that found 96% of its responding fitness club members and 89% of employees indicated they are vaccinated against Covid-19.

A North Carolina charter school will now require masks in school after more than 150 students and staff members have been quarantined following the first week of school. 

Union Academy Charter School in Monroe, North Carolina, announced it has 14 active cases of Covid-19 detected since school started last Monday. The school is on a modified year-round calendar.

Students returned to school today with the universal masking policy in place, and without any incidents, according to the statement.

"UA looks forward to a time in the near future when masks and quarantines will be unnecessary," the statement said.

The White House's Covid-19 data director, Cyrus Shahpar, says on Twitter the US has hit 70% of adults with at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

This is the goal the administration originally set for July 4, so it is roughly a month behind that deadline.

Today’s vaccination numbers have not yet updated on the CDC website, so people will not see this reflected yet if they look on the dashboard.

A senior administration official told CNN they believe there are governors in the country who are putting their “political interests” ahead of public health in getting their citizens vaccinated.

The briefing, which was held just with journalists from CNN, is a sign itself that the White House is attempting to course-correct messaging around Covid-19 after the the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sparked confusion when it changed mask recommendations for the fully vaccinated.

Asked about the White House’s mistakes in messaging and what they plan to do, an official pushed back on the claim but said they will continue to use everything in their power to push vaccines — adding the White House needs to change as the data changes.

The official reiterated a national mandate for all Americans to be vaccinated is not under consideration, saying the White House has determined it is not within Biden's scope of power as President.

But the official did not rule out a stricter mandate on federal workers that goes beyond the announcement Biden made last week that federal employees must attest to being vaccinated or face stringent mitigation measures. That was only a first step, the official said, designed to make life more difficult for those federal workers who decline to be vaccinated. Biden has asked his team to take a hard look at what authorities he has as it relates to federal workers, and the White House continues to look at all of those options, including within different subsets of the federal government.

A senior administration official also told CNN that the CDC is now tracking more than just hospitalizations in breakthrough cases, despite health officials previously telling CNN they were not tracking cases that don’t result in hospitalization or death. This official says the CDC is using a vast network of health care workers, nursing homes and other facilities to obtain information on breakthrough cases. The official added they are having "constant dialogue" with other countries on tracking these kinds of infections as well.

This senior official declined to provide a more specific number on how many vaccinated people they have found are contributing to the spread of Covid-19. They reiterated that they know it's possible, but still believe those people with breakthrough cases are less likely to spread it than those who are unvaccinated.

Asked about any concerns about children returning to school this fall, a senior administration official said the White House is confident they’ll be able to contain cases in school and expect to focus more this week on precautions that schools can take. The administration official was clear they don't want schools to have to contemplate returning to virtual learning.

On children wearing masks, the official added they don’t want children to be bullied for wearing masks in school, but said it's more important kids not be exposed to the virus from others not wearing masks.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

In rescinding its short-lived indoor mask mandate, Pensacola State College is adopting a new Covid-19 absence policy.

“Even though the Governor’s recent executive order regarding face masks at this time only pertains to K-12, PSC will not require face coverings indoors but does strongly encourage face coverings indoors particularly for all unvaccinated persons,” a message from college president Ed Meadows says on the college’s website. 

The college had announced on July 28 they would be implementing an indoor mask mandate.

That message also announced a new absence policy that would have a significant effect on anyone that is unvaccinated and acquires Covid-19. 

If a student accrues enough unexcused absences, Pensacola State College policy indicates that they could be withdrawn from the class.

A St. Louis, Missouri, mom is pleading with people to get the Covid-19 vaccine after her 37-year-old daughter died from the virus.

Kimberle Jones said her daughter Erica, who had a husband and three kids, did not trust the vaccine and was against getting the shot.

"We have to trust the science and the medicine and if you want to protect yourself or your family, don't be selfish and only think about yourself," her mother told CNN on Monday, about a month after Erica died.

Jones said her daughter battled the virus for 50 days in the hospital. She said she never imagined that she would never come home.

"I did not ever think that my daughter would not walk out of the hospital. I thought that my daughter was going to just get treated for the virus and that she would be okay. I knew that it would be a long-term recovery for her, however I just did not ever think that my daughter would not be alive today," Jones said.

Now, Jones is telling her family's story to encourage other people to get the shot and protect themselves and their community.

"You see all of the pictures in the media and on TV and stuff and you think it couldn't happen to you – it could happen to you. It happened to me and my family. Right now I do not have my daughter. Gone at 37 years old with a bright future and my daughter fought, fought hard for her life. And to hear someone say I can't breathe, it is heart-wrenching," Jones added.

A Disaster Medical Assistance Team arrived Monday in Baton Rouge at Our Lady of the Lake, Louisiana’s largest hospital, to provide what the hospital called support with “the highest volume of Covid-19 patients the region has experienced thus far due to the Delta variant.”

About one-third of the hospital’s Covid-19 patients are being treated in the ICU with an average of one infected patient being admitted every hour, according to the statement. The hospital has already paused admission of non-urgent patients to preserve resources for Covid-19 patients.

The hospital says the vast majority of their Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated and they are seeing a “rapid influx” of patients under the age of 50.

According to Our Lady of the Lake spokesperson Ryan Cross, the DMAT team consists of two physicians, three mid-level providers, seven nurses, 11 paramedics, 1 respiratory therapist, two pharmacists, one mental health specialist, and six administrative support specialists. 

“Their team will be here for one month and will allow us to open six additional [Covid-19] ICU beds and provide clinical assistance to our existing [Covid-19] units,” Cross said Monday in an email. 

Cross said the hospital sent requests to the state and federal government for staff. 

According to Cross, the hospital has requested 106 registered nurses, 17 certified nursing assistants, 17 clerical staff, and 17 respiratory therapists from the state.

The University of Minnesota is the latest higher learning institution to mandate mask wearing indoors, regardless of vaccination status. 

Starting August 3, the university will require everyone inside their buildings to wear masks. Vaccinations are not required for students or staff.

Last week, Duke University leadership announced a similar move, saying that due to the increase in Covid-19 cases in North Carolina, they would be issuing an indoor mask mandate to all people regardless of vaccination status.