The Latest: US virus cases rising again, doubled in 3 weeks

In this July 7, 2021, photo Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during an interview at his campaign office in Atlanta. Kemp’s office says it was surprised to hear federal officials were reevaluating its plan to overhaul how state residents buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The director of Kemp’s Office of Health Strategy and Coordination said in a recent letter that the move by the Biden administration suggests it wants to revisit the plan's approval, which he said is not allowed. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Syringes with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are ready for use at a shopping mall in Paris, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. More than 1 million people in France made vaccine appointments in less than a day after the president cranked up pressure on everyone to get vaccinated to save summer vacation and the French economy. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A woman receives a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by a member of the Civil Protection service at a shopping mall in Paris, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. More than 1 million people in France made vaccine appointments in less than a day after the president cranked up pressure on everyone to get vaccinated to save summer vacation and the French economy. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting on reducing gun violence, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, July 12, 2021, in Washington. Biden on Tuesday will lay out the “moral case” voting rights, delivering a much anticipated speech as he faces growing pressure from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House to combat efforts by Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to the ballot.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In this Aug. 23, 2019 file photo, Olivia Rodrigo attends the Disney+ press line at the 2019 D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. President Joe Biden is putting a dose of star power behind the administration’s efforts to get young people vaccinated against COVID-19. The White House says the 18-year-old actress, singer and songwriter will meet Wednesday, July 14, 2021, with Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser. Rodrigo will also record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

A health worker registers people for the COVID-19 test near a metro station, in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this Feb. 25, 2021 file photo, Vivek Murthy testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. The nation’s top doctor says it’s “certainly possible” that Americans eventually will be advised to get a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine. Surgeon General Murthy told CNN that no decision had been made yet after a meeting Monday, July 12 with Pfizer to discuss its request for approval of a third shot of its coronavirus vaccine. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP, File)

An elderly Naga waits in the recovery room after receiving the vaccine for COVID-19 in Imphal, India, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)

France's President Emmanuel Macron, meets French carmakers at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, July 12, 2021. President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a top-level virus security meeting Monday morning and then giving a televised speech Monday evening, the kind of solemn speech he's given at each turning point in France's virus epidemic.(AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at a press conference following her visit to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Merkel visited the health ministry's leading institute in the Corona pandemic at the invitation of Health Minister Spahn. (Michael Kappeler/Pool via AP)

People who came to get inoculated agains the coronavirus return following non availability of vaccine in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Home Guard personnel stand in an empty street of Sadar Bazar wholesale market which is partially closed for violating COVID-19 guidelines in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

People wearing face masks pass by a poster about precautions against the coronavirus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. South Korea's streak of more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases has reached a week as health authorities scramble to slow a viral surge that has brought Seoul's thriving nightlife to a standstill and professional baseball to a halt. The signs on posters read "Rules of using public transport." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

People wearing face masks pass by banners hoping to overcome the COVID-19 crisis on a street in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. South Korea's streak of more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases has reached a week as health authorities scramble to slow a viral surge that has brought Seoul's thriving nightlife to a standstill and professional baseball to a halt. The signs on posters read "Let's overcome the COVID-19." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A nurse prepares to administer a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly woman in her house in rural Sabab Bernam, central Selangor state, Malaysia, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Medical teams are going house to house in rural villages to reach out to elderly citizens as the government seeks to ramp up its vaccination program. Despite a strict lockdown, the pandemic has worsened with more than 844,000 confirmed cases nationwide and over 6,200 deaths. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison adjusts his mask during the announcement of a COVID-19 financial support package in Sydney, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Morrison announced added financial support for businesses and households as Sydney appears increasingly likely to enter a fourth week of lockdown due to coronavirus clusters. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor poses for a photograph at his office in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, July 12, 2020. After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife were immunized with the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer. They were wrong. Nsofor and his wife - and millions of others receiving vaccines through a U.N.-backed effort to distribute COVID-19 shots - are effectively banned from entering the European Union and other countries, which do not recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel. (AP Photo/ Gbemiga Olamikan)

In this photo released by the Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division, President Rodrigo Duterte, left, prepares for his second dose of the COVID-19 Sinopharm vaccine by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, right, in Malacañang Presidential palace, Manila on Monday, July 12, 2021. (King Rodriguez/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP)

A clown from a group called "Aku Badut Indonesia" or "I am an Indonesian Clown" holds up a poster during an awareness campaign calling for people to always wear their masks to curb the spread of coronavirus, at a busy intersection in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 12, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is battling an explosion of COVID-19 cases that have strained hospitals on the main island of Java. Writings on the poster read "Keep yourself and your family safe from COVID-19". (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A man receives a shot of the Sinovac vaccine for COVID-19 during a vaccination campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

A soldier administrates the COVID-19 vaccine to a woman in Kesra,130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Tunis, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. As part of the efforts from the Tunisian government to try to stop the increasing number of infections in the country, the militaries were deployed to some cities and rural areas hardly affected by COVID-19 or with a very low rate of vaccination, to vaccinate people. (AP Photo/Saber Zidi)

The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings.

Confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Even with the latest surge, cases in the U.S. are nowhere near their peak of a quarter-million per day in January — still health authorities in places such as Los Angeles County and St. Louis are begging even immunized people to resume wearing masks in public.

Department officials are also recommending that people 65 and older and those with chronic underlying conditions stay away from large indoor gatherings because of a 150% rise in hospitalizations over the past three weeks.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Indonesia hits record 47,899 daily coronavirus cases

— Mississippi officials block COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

— Netherlands coronavirus cases soar among young

— Immunized but banned: EU says not all COVID vaccines equal

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— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

CHICAGO — Rising COVID-19 rates in other states have prompted Chicago to restart a travel order. The move comes after weeks of no travel restrictions amid a declining infection rate.

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and Arkansas have to either quarantine for 10 days or have a negative COVID-19 test.

The restriction goes into effect Friday. Both states have met Chicago’s mark of at least 15 daily infections per 100,000 residents.

Health officials say other states could be added if cases continue to rise, including Nevada, Louisiana, Utah and Florida. At the same time, cases have been increasing in central and southern Illinois.

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PORTLAND, Maine — The number of Maine residents who are 70 years or older and have not had their final dose of coronavirus vaccine has fallen below 20,000.

Maine has one of the oldest median ages in the country at about 45. The state, like most, prioritized getting coronavirus vaccines to older residents when they first became available.

About 90% of Mainers age 70 and older have now had their final dose, according to data from the office of Maine Gov. Janet Mills. That means the number of residents in that age group who are not fully vaccinated is a little more than 19,000.

Maine has about 190,000 residents who are age 70 or older according to the U.S. census. The state’s total population is about 1.3 million.

About 60% of that total population is fully vaccinated, and that figure includes residents who are still too young to get COVID-19 shots, according to state data.

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BOISE, Idaho -- Students and staff in the Boise School District in southwestern Idaho won’t have to wear masks during the upcoming school year.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the district’s Board of Trustees on Monday unanimously approved a COVID-19 response plan created with help from parents, teachers and health professionals. The district last school year required masks for students and staff when inside.

The new plan encourages those who are not vaccinated to continue wearing masks to protect themselves and the community. It also calls for focusing on hand-washing, disinfecting surfaces and protocols for when people get sick.

Brian Walker, an area director for the district, said the plan aligns with recently released guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccines are only approved for children 12 and older, causing concern for children younger than that to be in school. Walker said children will still be able to attend online, and can work with school officials to find the best plan for them.

He said most of the district’s staff are vaccinated against COVID-19, but the district isn’t requiring proof.

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DENVER — In Colorado, COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates have been relatively steady in recent weeks, where the delta variant accounts for an estimated 75% of new cases, according to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

More than 70% of adults in Colorado have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 63% are fully vaccinated, according to state data.

Delta cases have surged in counties with lower vaccination rates, especially in western Colorado.

CDC and state officials visited Mesa County, home to Grand Junction, in late June to study its emergence there. About 41% of Mesa residents are fully vaccinated.

The state has deployed mobile vaccination clinics, and Gov. Jared Polis has asked county health officials for ideas to increase vaccinations.

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ATLANTA — In Georgia, the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been creeping upward over the past few weeks.

The state’s seven-day average of new cases stood at 743, up from 365 on June 25. Some 663 people were hospitalized with COVID – just over 4% of the state’s patient count and up from 423 on June 19, according to state data.

Both numbers are nowhere near January peaks, but health experts say they show the need for more people to get vaccinated. Only 39% of state residents are fully vaccinated, well below the rate in other states.

State health officials teamed up with the Atlanta Motor Speedway over the weekend to promote vaccination at a concert ahead of a NASCAR race.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch public health institute says coronavirus infections in the Netherlands skyrocketed by more than 500% over the last week.

The surge follows the scrapping of almost all lockdown restrictions and the reopening of night clubs in late June as the more contagious delta variant gained ground. The public health institute’s weekly update issued Tuesday showed that nearly 52,000 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week, up from 8,541 cases the previous week.

It reported that confirmed cases among people ages 18-24 increased 262%, followed by a 191% rise in ages 25-29. The caretaker prime minister of the Netherlands apologized Monday for last month’s relaxed lockdown and called it “an error of judgment.”

More than 46% of the Netherlands’ adult population is fully vaccinated, and more than 77% of adults have had at least one shot.

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JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi State Department of Health says the state agency is blocking comments on its Facebook posts because of a “rise of misinformation” about the coronavirus and vaccinations.

“The comments section of our Facebook page has increasingly come to be dominated by misinformation about COVID-19,” Director for the Mississippi State Department Health Office of Communications Liz Sharlot said in a statement.

Sharlot says allowing the comments that “mislead the public about the safety, importance and effectiveness of vaccination” is “directly contrary” to the state’s public health mission, which includes encouraging members of the public to be vaccinated against the virus.

The Department of Health posts multiple times each day on its Facebook page about COVID-19. Posts include information on numbers of new coronavirus cases in the state, details on pop-up vaccination clinics and transportation services to vaccination clinics for homebound residents.

Sharlot says the comments will be back when the department has “the resources to effectively curb misleading, harmful and off-topic commentary that disserves the public.”

The Mississippi State Department of Health officials announced Friday they are recommending people 65 and older and those with chronic underlying medical conditions to refrain from attending indoor mass social gatherings in coming weeks because of a rising number of coronavirus cases in the state.

Mississippi ranks among the last states for the total number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 at 31% fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. Just over one million people in Mississippi, with a population of nearly 3 million, are fully vaccinated.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama, where coronavirus cases are on the rise, trails only Mississippi in low vaccination rates. Just under 31% of the state’s population is fully inoculated, according to the state.

Alabama’s overall positivity rate has increased each of the last two weeks, according to the state health agency. The Alabama Hospital Association says 290 people statewide were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, an increase of 75% since June 20. Even with the hike, hospitalizations are still less than 10% of the state’s peak in early January.

While some disease experts have said health officials might need to reimpose disease prevention measures, Gov. Kay Ivey pushed back against the idea last week. She encouraged citizens to get vaccinated.

Derek Moates, a researcher with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, says recent testing showed about 70% of 48 random samples analyzed were the delta variant.

“Because we haven’t been compliant with everyone getting vaccinated, we’ve left the door open for the virus to learn everything it needs to get around that vaccine that we desperately worked so hard to get,” Moates says.

Alabama has ended all virus restrictions and precautions, meaning masks and social distancing are rarely seen in public across much of the state.

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is putting a dose of star power behind the administration’s efforts to get young people vaccinated against COVID-19.

The White House says 18-year-old actress, singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo will meet Wednesday with Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser.

Rodrigo will record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated. The videos will be featured on Rodrigo’s and White House social media. While the administration has had success vaccinating older Americans, young adults have shown less urgency to get the shots.

Rodrigo’s visit was first announced on Instagram with a photo of a youthful Biden, and the president asking for help getting other young people vaccinated.

Rodrigo replied: “I’m in. see you tomorrow at the white house!”

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BRUSSELS — European Union nations have approved the pandemic recovery plans of the bloc’s four biggest economies and eight other member countries.

The approval given Tuesday is seen as a bellwether for an economic revival from the unprecedented recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It will allow a dozen of the EU’s 27 members to start unlocking funds for the pre-financing of projects that are intended to put Europe on more solid economic footing while becoming greener and more digitally advanced.

The nations include the EU’s economic juggernauts -- France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- as well as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia has logged a record daily 47,899 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the Health Ministry.

The daily virus count topped 40,427 cases on Monday. Hospitals are already bursting beyond capacity and oxygen supplies are running out, leaving individuals to cope with caring for sick friends and relatives at home. The surge in newly cases is attributed to the highly transmissible delta variant.

At least 451 people who tested positive have died while self-isolating in their homes since last month, according to LaporCovid-19, an independent virus data group that keeps track of deaths at home. It noted many go unreported.

It says an average of 45 COVID-19 patients in self-isolation died at home each day in Jakarta, citing data from the Jakarta Health Agency.

Nationwide, there’s been more than 2.6 million cases and 68,219 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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MOSCOW — Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia hit a record 780 as the country continued to struggle with a surge of infections.

For the first time in the pandemic, the daily death toll exceeded 700 last Tuesday and remained at that level since. There were 24,702 confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday. Daily new infections in Russia have soared from around 9,000 in early June to more than 25,000 last week.

Officials blame the surge on the spread of the delta variant and sought to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower than in many Western countries. As of Tuesday, 28.6 million Russians -- or just 19.5% of the 146 million population -- have received at least one shot of a vaccine.

Russia’s state coronavirus task force has reported over 5.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 144,492 deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russia’s state statistical service Rosstat, which tallies coronavirus-linked deaths, has retroactively revealed much higher numbers.