The weekly case count did drop slightly ― from 243,373 the previous week to the latest tally of 225,978 ― but pediatric cases overall made up 25.7% of all cases reported in the country, up from 15.5% the week prior.
This latest boom in COVID-19 infections among children has primarily been seen in the South, according to the report, as government officials in that region have largely fought against mitigation efforts such as mask mandates and vaccination requirements.
“Child cases are high in places where community cases are high,” Dr. Sean O’Leary, vice chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, told HuffPost. “Where we’re seeing the highest rates in the entire population, the child cases go up.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Monday announced a new policy allowing LGBTQ veterans who were discharged from the military for reasons relating to sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status to become eligible for full benefits.
Florida Republicans this spring insisted a contentious new election law curtailing access to ballot boxes was needed to prevent electoral fraud. It was not, they said, an attempt to gain a partisan advantage.
