HEALTH

The Delta variant, first detected in India, is likely to become the dominant strain in the U.S. In the U.K., it accounts for 91 percent of new coronavirus cases.

Guests will not be required to provide proof of vaccination and on-site temperature checks will no longer be mandatory.

Restrictions, such as capacity limits and social distancing requirements, will be lifted for most settings, except for certain large-scale indoor events hosting 5,000 or more people.

Hotels and theme parks are providing these activities for free, so the state is throwing in an additional $2,000 in cash for winners to cover the cost of travel.

The former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, has said that the variant is likely to become the main source of new infections in the U.S.

"Bridges can freely choose to accept or refuse a COVID-19 vaccine; however, if she refuses, she will simply need to work somewhere else. If a worker refuses an assignment, changed office, earlier start time, or other directive, he may be properly fired," U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled.

The company says it plans to seek authorization for the shots in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere by the end of September and be able to produce up to 100 million doses a month by then.

"People are waiting to receive beds," Dr. Nabil bin Muhammed al-Lawait, the Muscat field hospital director, told state-run media. "There is great pressure on hospital beds...and a shortage of medical staff."

A recent 30 percent increase in bankruptcies could be a harbinger of more financial pain to come as millions of Americans grapple with rising medical debt from COVID treatment. Says one expert: "It's going to get ugly."

As of July 12, 52.8 percent of Americans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 43.6 percent had been fully vaccinated.

A lawyer for 117 Houston Methodist Hospital employees who were suspended for refusing to get vaccinated vowed to appeal after their lawsuit challenging the mandatory vaccinations was dismissed.

The British Medical Association is asking the U.K. government for a "sensible delay" before lifting the COVID-19 lockdown. Documented cases in the U.K. are at their highest since February.