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The surge in coronavirus spread in the U.S. is driving case totals to highs last seen six months ago. For much of last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported daily case numbers upwards of 100,000, with Thursday’s high of nearly 147,000 not previously seen since late January. On Sunday, the U.S. led the world in new cases reported with over 38,400 new illnesses, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Iran followed with under 37,000 cases reported. (Hein, 8/16)

For the first time since February, the United States reported more than 900,000 COVID-19 cases last week—with the country represented 20% of global cases—a sign the pandemic surge caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant has stalled the progress made by an aggressive vaccine rollout that dampened cases this spring and summer. Cases are on the rise in 46 states, according to USA Today. Hot spots continue in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, Hawaii, and Mississippi. Oregon reported 11,564 cases in the week ending Friday, the paper said, topping its December pandemic peak by more than 7.2%. (Soucheray, 8/16)

Five states broke records for the average number of daily new Covid cases over the weekend as the delta variant strains hospital systems across the U.S. and forces many states to reinstate public health restrictions. Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon and Mississippi all reached new peaks in their seven-day average of new cases per day as of Sunday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On a per capita basis, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida are suffering from the three worst outbreaks in the country. (Mendez, Towey and Rattner, 8/16)

A lagging vaccination campaign and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant are driving a surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations in the United States. Among Americans under age 50, average daily hospital admissions have hit a pandemic high, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Anthes, 8/17)

Alabama’s intensive care units were near capacity Monday amid the state’s ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases. The state has 1,562 intensive care unit beds but had 1,560 hospitalized patients needing intensive care Monday, according to Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association. “This is the greatest demand on the ICU system we’ve ever had,” Williamson said. (8/16)

A second field hospital for treating COVID-19-infected patients has been staged in a University of Mississippi Medical Center garage as a last-ditch effort to bolster Mississippi's beleaguered health care systems. Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization deployed the additional field hospital on Sunday in collaboration with UMMC, the governor's office, the Mississippi State Department of Health and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The mobile unit is in UMMC's garage C near the Children's of Mississippi Hospital's Sanderson Tower. (Haselhorst, 8/16)

Gov. Andy Beshear's administration has predicted the week of Aug. 22 could see the highest number of hospitalizations of the entire pandemic, and some hospitals are already full. During a Thursday press briefing, U of L Health Chief Nurse Executive Cindy Lucchese said the system has four times as many COVID-19 patients than it did in July. "I wish I could share a more positive message and tell you we're winning the war against this virus," she said. "That is just not true." (Ladd, 8/16)

Facing intense pressure to combat a surge in new coronavirus cases, Gov. Brian Kemp announced steps Monday to expand capacity at regional hospitals, increase health care staffing and shutter state offices on Sept. 3 to encourage public employees to get vaccinated. The Republican said he will create an impromptu state holiday on the Friday before Labor Day weekend in hopes of spurring state staffers to schedule their shots during their time off. Those who are already vaccinated, he said, can treat it as a “thank-you” holiday to spend with friends and family. (Bluestein, 8/16)

Texas has requested five mortuary trailers from FEMA to help deal with an expected surge in COVID-19 deaths, NBC News reports. The trailers will be based in San Antonio and sent around the state as needed. Officials ordered them at the start of the month after data showed deaths in Texas are surging, Department of State Health Services spokesperson Doug Loveday told NBC. (Saric, 8/16)

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has been hospitalized with Covid-19 and placed on a ventilator, according to a tweet over the weekend from his official account. In a tweet on August 10, Burke, a Covid-19 vaccination critic, announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, and said, "Thanks be to God, I am resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care. "It is unclear whether Cardinal Burke, who is in his early 70s, has been vaccinated against Covid-19. (Henderson and Sandoval, 8/16)

As alarm mounted over the coronavirus ripping through the country, Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago was barraged with warnings: Lollapalooza was looking increasingly risky. The annual four-day music festival would draw hundreds of thousands of people downtown, unmasked, crowded into mosh pits, city parks, restaurants and L trains, setting up the threat of a superspreader coronavirus event in the Midwest. The mayor insisted that the festival go on. The decision to host the event, which injected a dormant downtown with energy and freely spending tourists at the end of last month, reflected a shifting response to the continuing pandemic. (Bosman and Smith, 8/16)