the florida hospital association reports that three out of four hospitals in the entire state are eitherate being there within the next seven days. what does that mean? they may have trouble treating anybody, if this continuings. >> dasha, you're at the little league world series. kids until 12 can't get vaccinated. that's basically every player there. what are you hearing from the families of the players and fans there about even their level of comfort being at this tournament at all? >> reporter: yeah. the players here are age 10 to 12, so the majority of these kids not eligible to get vaccinated. garrett, the little league world series is a beloved tradition. it was canceled last year. this year it's back, but it looks pretty different. normally this plaza would be packed with vendors, team stores, with a fun zone. none of that this year, limited concessions. of course, the biggest difference is no fans. each team was given 250 tickets to give to family members and friends, but that pales in comparison. this year, they say they might break 2,000 people coming through. this is where th

florida. and the hospital covid wards are struggling. more than 9,000 are in hospitals there. joining me now is mary mayhew, the president of the florida hospital association. mary, thank you for being with us. you know, i've read that you said that this is -- although we're seeing the return to the peaks of hospitalizations in florida, that they're dramatically different. how so? >> it is the rapid rate of increase that we've experienced in florida. so last year it took 60 days to go from 2,000 cases to over 10,000. in the last few weeks, combating the delta variant, we've gone from 2,000 cases to over 10,000 cases in 27 days. so rapid escalation. and then it's attacking our younger people. last year we knew that our elderly were most vulnerable, most at risk at being hospitalized, and certainly from dying from covid. now we're seeing 25-year-olds in our hospitals in the icu and on ventilators. so clearly a significant change from the last two significant surges. >> what we remember from the last two surges were the premium placed on space, the ventilators, and the staff, the medical staff to take care of those people. are you facing those crises this tim

hospitals in florida. more than 17,000 patients are hospitalized across the sunshine state. the florida hospital association0% of them, 90% are unvaccinated. in an effort to underscore the importance of getting vaccinated, the association released a psa with a truly heart breaking message. take a look. >> we had someone in her 30s, a young mommy. she left her husband and three little kids, ages 4, 2, 8. they're saying, mommy, come on. mommy, i miss you. she's not saying anything because she's intubated. it's rough. it's rough to watch everyday. it's very rough. >> i have an 8-year-old at home and that is a heart breaking but powerful psa. joining me now is the president and ceo of the florida hospital association mary. thank you for joining us. what are your nurses and doctors saying the difference between the surge now versus a year ago at the height of the pandemic in florida? >> first of all, over a short period of time we have seen a rapid increase in the number of hospitalizations. now, over 17,000 individuals hospitalized for covid, that occurred over just a handful of weeks, little more than six week

she's the president of the florida hospital association. mary mahew, thank you for being here. ng to hospital administrators across the state, and we know florida is suffering with a lot of new cases and a lot of hospitalizations. what are you hearing from them? how are things there? >> first of all, we have today nearly 17,000 covid hospitalizations across the state. and that is combined with unusually high volumes of very ill non-covid patients, along with emergency rooms that are overcrowded and full. so boots on the ground, we are at unprecedented levels in terms of the demand on the system, which is strained. very few i.c.u. beds, very few beds generally available around the state. >> brangham: i know there is a real shortage of nurses, to command a lot of those beds. i know this was a crisis that preceded the pandemic. but, obviously, it seems like the pandemic has only exacerbated this. >> first of al, nurses are the heart and soul of our hospitals. we have many health care professionals throughout the organization. our nurses, our respiratory therapists, our e.r. staff,

hospitalization or death. florida's covid-19 hospitalization rate is at an all time high right now, the florida hospital association reported today. 10,300 hospitalizations, the most in the state at any point during the pandemic, officials say, 95% of those in the hospital are unvaccinated and the number of positive tests is at record levels as well. here's a look at a drive by testing site in south florida just today, where some people waited hours to get there. covid tests despite record breaking numbers, florida's governor is against mask mandates and vaccine requirements. bill and melinda gates now officially divorced details on their agreement and what it means for their charitable foundation. also more than 700 people died from overdoses in san francisco last year, coming up the new program year, coming up the new program in the city working to prevent you know when you're at ross and find just what you need... to make any space your space? (sighs) yes! that's yes for less. get the best bargains ever for every room and every budget. at ross. yes for less. i'm so glad you're ok, sgt. houston. this is sam with

a recent survey conducted by the florida hospital association found 96% of hospitalized covid patients unvaccinated. let's bring in the group's president and ceo mary mayhue. thank you for being on the show. what's going on in florida? >> what we are experiencing over the last 27 days is a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalizations. last year in 2020 it took us 60 days to go from 2,000 cases to 10,000. it has taken us 27 days to break our 2020 peak. so it has been a dramatic increase and as you mentioned, it is a much younger population being hospitalized today. so for the last 17 months, so many have heard that this is a virus that attacks our elderly, our frail elderly. right now we know that it is absolutely affecting a younger population. in jacksonville, one of our hospitals, their average age now is 42 years old. we have 25-year-olds who are in the hospital, in intensive care on ventilators. >> no. oh my god. so, mary, if i could ask you what your opinion is as to why people in florida are fairing worse than even other southern states where in the last week or two it see

the florida hospital association say they expect to break the statewide record in the coming days. lester. >> vaughan hilliard in florida, thanks. top of mind for parents right now is what happens when school starts. it's a major concern as the delta variant hits a small but increasing number of kids, some too young to be vaccinated. steve patterson reports. >> reporter: on the eve of school bells ushering in a return to the classroom, hospitals warn kids are far from immune to covid. >> spreading so quickly. the numbers are going up dramatically. >> reporter: in louisiana, at our lady of the lake's children's hospital in baton rouge said they just had one of their worst weeks since the beginning of the pandemic. at least 62 school-aged kid were hospitalized there in july alone compared to just 18 in june. >> about half of those have been in the intensive care unit requiring breathing tubes and mechanical ventilation. >> reporter: in northern california, a bay-area school district is already reporting 15 cases of covid among staff and students after just three days back to school.

florida's hospitalization is triple what the national rate is. right now 15,449. that's the latest number when it comes to hospitalizations, and the florida hospital association is sayingin the next seven days they expect 68% of hospitals to have a critical staffing shortage. that is an increase from last week, and one more thing, jim, to mention. you know, governor ron desantis has been criticized by some for not releasing daily covid-19 numbers by county, by local governments, and today in his press conference he mentioned it might not be a bad idea to get back to that, so a bit of a shift and we might be getting more numbers given what he said. >> yeah. sound like he may be starting to sorten on some of the hard positions that he's taken down there. see if that paps out. thanks so much for following that. let bring in cnn chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta. sanjay, as you know, the fda is expected to soon authorize a third coronavirus shot for some folks who are dealing with compromised immune systems. what factors can go into this in terms of who gets them and when? >> the whole thinking behind this, jim, is these are people who did the really amount to a

florida, the state is dealing with one of the highest hospitalization rates in the country, and 90% -- 90% of i.c.u. beds have already been taken as of last week. this is according to the florida hospital association, and some children's hospitals in florida are saying they're overwhelmed by the significant increase in the number of children coming in with covid. many of them having to be hospitalized. and that was what was in mind when the broward county public school board voted to require masks when school classes resume next week. >> are you going to bully him into wearing a mask? >> reporter: despite some protesters and the governor's threat to withhold funding, the broward county school board still vote todayd to require ma this year. >> i'm not willing to play russian roulette with somebody's life, especially not a child. >> we did what was the right thing, in the best interest of our children. >> reporter: florida governor ron desantis standing by his order, banning mask mandates in school. >> ultimately, my view is it's a parent's decision. >> reporter: but for health experts, there's no debate. it's about keeping children safe. >> we need to take the politics out of this. and simply stat

. >> reporter: the florida hospital association warning six in ten florida hospitals are expecting a critical staffing shortage within the next week. in texas, frontline workers are drowning in the cascade of new covid cases. in harris county officials raising its threat level to red this week. >> our icu population is increasing at a rate we had seen or we had not seen since the worst part of the worst wave we've had in this community. >> reporter: in houston, the ceo of harris health system calling it crisis mode. in the city where one hospital had to transfer stephanie lopez's 11-month-old daughter ava. >> it's something that i wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. it's nothing i wouldn't want any other mother to go through. >> reporter: stephanie telling me she felt heartbroken and helpless as her infant was airlifted to a hospital 150 miles away alone because there were no available pediatric icu beds in houston. >> was there a point when you were thinking the worst? >> yeah, there was -- like whenever i got out the car and she wasn't responding to me, she was just unconscious. she w

she is the president of the florida hospital association. thank you for being here. know you have been talking to hospital admistrators across the state and we know florida is really suffering with a lot of new cases and hospitalizations. what are you hearing from them? how are things? >> we have 17,000 -- that is combined with unusually high volumes of very ill non-covid patients along with emergency rooms that are overcrowded and full. we have demand on the system that is trained. very few i beds and very few beds generally available around the state. >> i know there is a real shortage of nurses to man a lot of those beds. i know this is a crisis that preceded the pandemic but it seems like the pandemic has only exacerbated this. >> nurses are the heart and soul and -- of our hospitals and we have many health care professionals throughout the organization, our nurses, respiratory therapists, the our staff -- er staff. the mental exhaustion our nurses and stafhave been under. when you're dealing with patients who are lining the halls on stretchers, when you are havin

. >> reporter: florida now leading the nation when it comes to hospitalizations and the florida hospital association now warning that many hospitals will see critical staffing shortages very soon. so we're seeing many additional measures being taken. where i am right now at jackson health system, they have just announced that they will be mandating vaccines of workers. miami-dade mayor also announcing that she will be requiring weekly testing of someone who cannot provide proof of vaccination. in the meantime, governor ron desantis doubling down saying that florida will not be a state of map datmandates or lockdowns. >> it is parents choice. we believe they are the ones with the choice. >> reporter: and the governor is standing by his executive order which threatens to cut state funds to any school that mandates masks. leon county superintendent has written him a letter asking him to, quote, not allow pride or politics to cloud our better judgment. >> leyla santiago, thank you. >>> president biden spent the week begging leaders including in florida to contain covid, drawing fire from governor desant

. >> reporter: i'm leyla santiago in in miami, florida, now leading the nation when it comes to covid-19 hospitalization. the florida hospital associationarning that 60% of hospitals will face critical staff shortages in the next seven days. we're seeing additional measures being taken by places like jackson health system, now announcing that it will have a vaccine mandate for all of its healthcare workers and miami dade county also announcing that it will require testing of all county employees. >>> i'm miguel marquez in birmingham, alabama, where a lot of the numbers here are not pointing in the right direction. infections are up, hospitalizations are up, the delta variant, highly infectious, highly contagious taking hold here in the cotton state, but there is a glimmer of hope. some vaccinations are up. people are getting vaccinated slightly higher level in alabama today than they were say a month ago. in part it's because things are opening back up again. as masks go away, as social distancing goes away and the wider economy opens up and schools get going, parents, young people, others, there's a hard group -- hard core group that w

hospitalization record tomorrow. florida's covid-19 hospitalization rate is also at an all time high. the florida hospital association reported today. that 10,389 hospitalizations in the state that is the most in the state at any point in the pandemic, officials say 95% of those in the hospital are unvaccinated and that the number of positive tests is also at record levels to here is a live look now at a drive by or look rather at a drive by testing site that was in self lord earlier today were some waited for hours to get tested. you saw a video of that just a short time ago despite record breaking numbers, florida's governor is against mask mandates and vaccine requirements coming up tonight. it's been 25 years since cal poly student kristin smart disappeared, and today the two men accused in her murder case appeared in court, plus dozens of residents evacuated in east contra costa county. today. we're a large wildfire continues to burn out of control, and it's already destroyed several homes and we are looking at temperatures that are on the mild side for the most part, but little bit warmer inland. as you've seen

out of the 65 patients in icus, and this is shown across the state by the florida hospital association numbers, about 95% of all patients in hospitals in florida, which is about 12,000 right now, are unvaccinated. and almost universally everyone in icu are unvaccinated. >> yeah. one thing speaking to you in advance, that stood out to me, only about half of your staff is vaccinated. that is remarkable to me given the increased risk of course of infection that staff, hospital staff have dealing with infected patients. why? why do you find that many of your colleagues are not protecting themselves in this way? >> you know, there is a lot of fear around the vaccines. the politicization and the hysteria on the social media and the misinformation campaigns that are being fought by the surgeon general and his team are rampant everywhere and people are falling for it. even those who have seen so much death and heartbreak. and as really been unable to combat it personally and professionally. >> that is amazing to me given that you and your colleagues, you see what it does, right. i mean, you se

hospitals, the numbers are quite concerning. florida has one of the highest rates of hospitalizations in the country. also, according to the florida hospital association, nine out of ten icu beds are currently occupied, and this is as of last week. i should also mention school districts, at least three of them, are now defying the governor's mandate prohibiting mask mandates, including broward county public schools. orange county is requiring masks but allowing parents to opt out. we're hearing that 4% of parents opted out of their kids wearing masks which started yesterday. >>> a new survey shows a complicated picture of how parents feel about masks and vaccines. the number may surprise you. that's next. i want some premium ideas for land o' frost premium sliced meats. land o' frost premium... so much goodness it'll make you cry! very nice, very nice. land o'frost premium. fresh look. same great taste. pssst! who loves... haribo goldbears. me! this one has juiciness like a strawberry. squishy and delicious. the goldbear is like karate dude. - flippin' around. - shaboom! ♪ kids and grownups love it so. ♪ ♪ the happy world of haribo. ♪ what can i du wi

that's coming from the florida hospital association. same association that is raising the red flag saying, look, 60% of hospitals will have critical staff shortages in the next seven days. so those two things right there give you an idea of where florida stands right now. i am in hialeah where the governor just spoke. he did not address covid or take any reporter questions, but listen to the last time he talked about covid. >> joe biden suggests that if you don't do lockdown policies, then you should, quote, get out of the way. let me tell you this. if you're coming after the rights of parents in florida, i'm standing in your way. >> reporter: and the governor saying that he will be reviewing how he will not prohibit masks, but make it optional or give parents, rather, an opt out for the upcoming school year. but one thing i want to highlight here, ana, the superintendent of leon county wrote the governor a letter asking him to be flexible and give them autonomy. and he said, please don't allow pride or politics to cloud our better judgm

>> reporter: victor, i just talked to the florida hospital association and they were stressing to me how concerned they are about critical staffing shortages given the surges that we have seen in hospitalizations, in case numbers, new case numbers. there's a lot of concern. not just with the hospital but also at the schools where next week a lot of them will start with the first day of school. this is just happened today. the board of education here has passed a new rule. this falls under governor desan tis order that says if a parent feels that their child is in any way experiencing some sort of covid-19 discrimination or some sort of harassment that they can use a voucher to take their student out of the school. this is the latest coming from the governor who has been in a bit of a feud with president joe biden who told him if you're not going to help, get out the way. that didn't sit well with the governor. they had an exchange of words. the last thing president biden said when he was asked about what the governor is doing, he said, governor who? now desantis is saying this. >> i g

florida is just really concerning. it is seeing one of the highest hospitalization rates in the country. we noah corresponding to the florida hospital associationre currently taken, and this was as of last friday, so perhaps those numbers may have gone up by now. we know that children's hospitals in the area are saying they are feeling overwhelmed. in fact, the c.e.o. of the children's hospital association that represents more than 220 hospitals around the country said that pediatric intensive care units are nearing or exceeding capacity. so with that in mind, the broward county school board voted yesterday to require masks in schools for everyone regardless of vaccination status. and i want you to listen to dr. -- excuse me, roselyn osgood who is chair of the school board. she said mask mandates are about protecting lives. >> i'm just not willing to risk or play resolution roulette with somebody's life, especially not a child, a 5-year-old, 4-year-old child that can't get vaccinated, come into a school, catches the coronavirus, goes home and infect the people in the house, the people on the bus, lord knows how many people we have impacted with

we've turned to the florida hospital association to give us their count.ments ago that says as of today and including yesterday's numbers there are now 17,001 new covid cases in the state, which is another record. you can see behind me some of this orange that's up. this is a portion of the hospital that is yet under construction. inside, you can see this is an area that was supposed to be a surgical center. it was set up for that purpose, but now because of the overwhelming number of covid cases, they've set aside this area for the overflow of covid patients they see arriving as a result of the fast spreading delta variant. one of the things doctors tell us is as folks are arriving, 92% of them in the memorial system are not vaccinated. you hear stories that some people say, well, no matter what, i'm glad i didn't get vaccinated. those apparently are just stories. listen to the doctor. >> no one who's about to die is going to say ever "i made the right choice, i'm good with dying with covid." no one ever says that. i always want to remind people that the

reporter: well, brianna, here in florida, hospitalizations have increased 13% from the previous peak of the pandemic, which was july of last year. and the florida hospital associationning that 60% of hospitals will have a critical staffing shortage in the next week. that's what they expect. and that has some taking additional measures in miami dade county, the mayor said she is now going to require testing of its employees who were not vaccinated. the jackson health system now is putting in place a vaccine mandate for its vaccines, for its employees rather. meanwhile, the governor continues to say that florida will not be a state of lockdowns and mandates. so president biden earlier said if you're not going to be part of the help in this, then get out the way. that didn't sit well with desantis. he went right back at biden. so there's been kind of this back and forth between the two. here is the late wst with what biden said. >> he was using your words about don't be in the way and he said i am in the way. >> governor who? >> desantis. >> reporter: governor who? those were the words from president joe biden, the latest in this exchange between the federal and state

are the number of confirmed covid-19 hospitalization cases that we're looking at right now in the state of florida. and this is coming as the florida hospital associationells me that they are seeing more hospitals expanding capacity for treatment of covid-19 patients. much of this fueled, in part, anyway, by the very contagious delta variant. and that is on the minds of many schools, which will have the first day of school next week. they are trying to find ways to prevent the spread of covid-19, given the governor's efforts to prohibit any sort of mask mandate. that has also played a role in quite a few, we'll say, a week-long exchange between the governor and president joe biden. listen. >> if you're not going to help, at least get out of the way. >> if you're coming after the rights of parents in florida, i'm standing in your way. >> i'm not surprised that biden doesn't remember me. i guess the question is, is what else has he forgotten? >> reporter: so, it has been a lot of exchanges between the two. and there are critics saying that this needs to stop in terms of getting the politics out of what is something that is very serious. i had one doctor

according to the florida hospital association, covid related hospitalizations -- remember, that's severeease from this -- are up 13% from the previous peak, above its previous peak so far in the pandemic. going back to july 2020. the state reported the most new cases in the country between july 27th and august 3rd. situation so dire that the fha warns that more than half of hospitals in the state will face a critical staffing shortage in the next seven days. that means they can't take care of all the sick people. despite that grim warning, florida governor ron desantis says he is finalizing rules this week that won't prohibit masks in school but will give parents the choice to opt out. not making it mandatory. cnn's leyla santiago joins me now live from miami. leyla, it's defying the numbers. florida is the worst it's been throughout the pandemic. the politics interfering in the public health response here. >> reporter: right, you are seeing the governor take a little bit of a different tone. if you look back at what he said when he signed the executive order that threatens to cut state

on "morning joe" this morning, the president of the florida hospital association joined to talk aboutds they're seeing we've been thinking about this as a disease that affects older people she said that's not the case anymore. >> right now we know that this is absolutely affecting a younger population in jacksonville, one of our hospitals, their average age now is 42 years old. we have 25 year olds who are in the hospital in intensive care on ventilators >> reporter: so, eamon, these scary numbers do seem to be causing some folks to roll up their screens and get their shots. the white house's data coordinator for covid just announcing the country has hit that goal of 70% of u.s. adults having at least one shot that was of course the goal by july 4th but you can see there people getting their first shots has ticked up about 30% week-over-week may eamon? >> thanks meg. >>> from semiconductors to lumber to rubber, the pandemic has produced a shortage of key components we'll talk to paolo ferrari about all of that and the company's most recent acquisition. "the exchange" coming right back

according to the florida hospital association, 60% of hospitals in the state could face a critical staffing shortage within the next week. anthony? >> manuel bojorquez, thanks. >>> now to california where wildfires are exploding in size, forcing thousands of people from their homes. take a look at that video showing destruction from the massive dixie fire. the flames wiped out the center of the historic town of greenville yesterday. the fire now the eighth largest in california history is one of more than a dozen large wildfires burning there. jonathan vigliotti is in colfax at the fast-growing river fire. jonathan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. we're standing in a neighborhood that appears to be completely destroyed. home after home looks like this one. reduced to rubble. the river fire started yesterday afternoon. it quickly exploded to 1,400 acres. north of where we are is the dixie fire. it's about 200 times the size of this one and growing by the hour. the flames of the dixie fire gutted the town of greenville, california, homes, stores, and gas stations burned to the

. >> the florida hospital association putting out this sobering psa after reporting roughly 3 out of 4 hospitals in the state expect to reach critical staffing levels in the next 7 days. >> what does that actually mean, critical staffing shortage >> it means they are not able to accept any additional patients that is what we're worried about right now. >> some doctors say they're quickly losing patience for patients who refuse to get vaccinated in alabama, one doctor is now refusing to see patients who are unvaccinated according to the birmingham news. dr. jason valentine reportedly writing if they asked why, i told them covid is a miserable way to die and i can't watch them die like that in an op-ed for the "l.a. times," one physician describes a dieing man under 50 with a wife and two young children who chose not to get vaccinated. writing last year a case like this would have flattened me this year, i struggle to find sympathy yet as the white house looks to turn the tide by recommending booster shots -- >> if the two vaccine dosage is still work to go prevent severe disease, hospi

. >> reporter: the florida hospital association putting out this sobering psa after reporting three outactually mean? >> it means they are not able to accept any additional patients. that's what we are worried about right now. >> reporter: some doctors say they're quickly losing patients for parents who refuse to get vaccinated. in alabama, one doctor is now refusing to see patient who's are unvaccinated according to birmingham news, dr. jason bal lan tine writing, if they asked why, i told them covid is a miserable way to die and i can't watch them die like that. one physician describes a dying man under 50 with a wife and who young children who chose not to get vaccinated, writing, last year, a case like this would have flattened me. this year, i struggle to find sympathy, as the white house recommends boosters shots. >> if the two vaccine dosage is still working to prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death, why is this third booster set necessary? >> we are starting to see in other countries, they're seeing waning infection against more severe outcomes. we're planning for it

hospitals, they will be turning away patients. >> reporter: florida currently leading the country in hospitalizations. the state's hospital association predicting 6 in 10 medical centers will face critical staffing shortages in the next week. >> we're bringing in additional staff, additional physicians, opening up nooks and crannies, if you will, in the emergency rooms to find places to see patients. we're treating patients in conference rooms, literally doing everything we can to try to accommodate that volume. >> reporter: that state reporting more than 130,000 new infections over the last week, driven mostly by the delta variant. and it's not just florida. covid tearing through unvaccinated communities. across the u.s., the average number of hospital admissions up by more than 40% in the last week. health-care workers stretched thin in louisiana, reporting the highest case rate in the country. the positivity rate there now over 15%, the highest since the start of the pandemic. >> we continue to not yet see any tangible signs that we are turning a corner. and that, quite frankly, is terrifying. >> reporter: in virginia, travis camp

florida. the state has become one of the worst hot spots in the nation. as the delta variant continues to climb in terms of the case count. according to the associated press, florida hospitals slammed with covid-19 patients are suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms and auditorium and cafeteria. florida, georgia and louisiana and mississippi alone account for more than 40% of all hospitalizations in the country. and there's one common factor here. people not getting the vaccine. let's bring in, infectious disease specialist in north palm beach county, dr. leslie diaz, it's great to have you on the show. you and i have been going back and forth about what your doctors, nurses, colleagues have been going through, what you personally have been going through. tell us what exactly it's like for you right now, what are the hours you all have been working and tell us about the patients you see coming into florida hospitals. >> good morning and thank you for having me. it is certainly very exhausting. we are working 14 and 16 hour days. relentlessly to try to take care of patients. patients who are young, 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds, 50-year

florida currently leading the country in hospitalizations. the state's hospital associationin 10 medical centers will face critical staff shortages in the next week. >> we are bringing in additional staff, opening up nooks and crannies in emergency rooms to find room for patients. reporter: a similar situation in louisiana, the state's positivity rate above 50%. >>s continues, they will be turning away patients. reporter: denise in baton rouge was hesitant to get the shot, but had a change of heart. >> i got my shot for the coworkers that have not took it, because we are women out here. reporter: in georgia, parents are concerned as kids return to school -- >> when you hear family passing away from covid, you do not play with that. reporter: cobb county reporting 185 cases in the first week of classes. when at county with -- in the first two days of school. hospitalization is up by 40% in the past week, covid taking its toll in unvaccinated communities. >> the biggest fear is a variant of high consequence, which would be a variant worse than the delta variant that would actu

florida. karina: leading the country and hospitalizations. the state hospital associationpredicting six in 10 medical centers will face critical staffing shortages in the next week. >> we are bringing in additional staff and physicians, opening up nooks and crannies in the emergency rooms to find people -- to find places to seat patients. karina: louisiana's positivity rate above 15%. >> if this pace continues, hospitals and icus will be turning away patients. karina: this person had a change of heart. >> i had to step up for my kids and my coworkers that haven't took it, because we are not winning out here. karina: in georgia, parents are concerned as kids return to school. >> when you've had family pass away from covid, you don't mess around with that. karina: gwinnett county with 166 cases in just the first two days of school. across the country, the average number of hospital admissions is up by more than 40% in the past week. covid taking its toll in unvaccinated communities. >> the biggest fear is a variant of high consequence, which would be a variant worse than the

florida, currently leading the country and hospitalizations. the state hospital associationtecting six in 10 medical centers will base critical staffing shortages in the next week. >> we are bringing in additional staff, additional positions, opening up nooks and crannies in the emergency room to find places to see patients. >> a similar situation in louisiana, the positivity rate now above 15%. >> if this pace continues, their hospitals will be turning away patients. >> one woman had a change of heart. >> i had to get it for my kids, for my coworkers, because we are not winning out here. >> in georgia, parents are concerned as kids return to school. >> when you have family pass away from covid, you don't play with that. >> 185 cases in the first week of classes. read at county with 166 cases in just the first two days of school. across the country, the average number of hospital admissions is up by more than 40% in the past week. covid, taking its toll in unvaccinated communities. >> the biggest fear is a variant of high consequence, which would be a variant worse than the

florida currently leading the country in hospitalizations. the state's hospital associationg 6 in 10 medical centers will face critical staffing shortages in the next week. darin roark: we're bringing in additional staff, additional physicians, opening up nooks and crannies, if you will, in the emergency rooms to find places to see patients. karina: a similar situation in louisiana, the state's positivity rate now above 15%. tom bossert: if this pace continues, their icu's and their hospitals, they will be turning away patients. karina: denise harris of baton rouge was hesitant to get the shot but had a change of heart. denise harris: i have to set the tone for my kids, for my coworkers that haven't taken it, because we're not winning out here. karina: in georgia, parents are concerned as kids return to school. perla romero: when you've had family pass away from covid, you don't play with that. karina: cobb county reporting 185 cases in the first week of classes. gwinnett county with 166 cases in just the first two days of school. across the country, the average number of ho

these dire scenes in other states like alabama, the hospital association, their reports just to i see you beds available for the entire state. in florida, there are more than 5000 children who are either in quarantine or isolation, dude. exposure in the school system and across the country. emily, we're still seeing new average number of cases per day as over a 140000 high, frightening statistics. thank you. for that update, heidi drug castro in baton rouge. louisiana for new cases of corona virus have been confirmed in new zealand as the country begins as snaps rate locked down. it brings the total number of cases to 5, all confirmed to be the delta vary and the case that triggered the lockdown was detected in oakland. and the government is working to trace its origins. you zealand has closed its borders to travelers. its last lock down was more than a year ago. we have made decisions on the basis that it is, be sure to start high and go down levels rather than start to load not contain the virus and see it move quickly. we've seen the die consequences of taking too long to act, and other countries, not least our neighbors. just as we

the hospital association tells us that there's 25-year-olds on ventilators here in these hospitals. it's not just the old folks of florida being hit by this. it's the unvaccinated, younger population here too, stephanie. >> 25-year-olds who can get vaccinated. morgan, i know we're expecting to hear from the governor of louisiana about possibly reinstating that mask mandate. what can you tell us? >> that press conference set for this afternoon, steph. and we do anticipate that governor john bell edwards will reinstate some sort of statewide mask mandate. that coming in shark contrast to what we've seen in the states of texas and florida, where the governors have made it clear, there will be absolutely no mask mandates going forward. and this comes as louisiana struggles under an onslaught of new cases, where about 90% of people admitted to hospitals are unvaccinated. this is outside the largest hospital in the state, our lady of the lake medical center, where we had the opportunity to walk into an icu, last week, there were only one or two covid patients, today, every single room is full. and one of the best concerns from

hospital in south florida, doctor, thanks for being here tonight. your hospital is experiencing how serious this is. want to read to viewers. six in the icu, one who need a ventilator you told the associated press. half under 12 and rest were older and eligible for vaccine but none with covid-19 on friday were vaccinated. you are seeing this at your hospital, around your state. >> exactly right, ali. we're seeing up to 20 patients. got 16 patients on the floor, six in icu, one on the regular floor, one in the emergency to be admitted. seeing increase in cases admitted and emergency rooms and urgent care centers across the city. >> and you're a children's hospital, but we seem to be seeing anecdotally and statistically more young people are being hit by this right now. what's your sense why that's the case? >> definitely higher percentage of children affected given that older population is vaccinated and for those 12 and under they cannot be vaccinated. there is a greater percentage of children affected as compared to beginning of the pandemic. in regards to raw numbers, we're not at numbers we saw in july of 2020. but getting close. with the peak possibly lafgt two to three weeks, we coul

hospitalizations have increased by nearly 500% nationwide, particularly across the south. florida has more people hospitalized with covid than any other state. more than 17,000 texas has the second most. joining us now, associatertment of tampa hospital, dr. jason wilson. dr. wilson, thanks for being with us this morning. what does it look like in your hospital in tampa right now? >> i just worked an entire night shift in the covid part of our emergency department and we continue to see very high volumes. we reached a steady state of a pretty high volume of about 240 patients in the hospital at any given time. i admitted about 15 patients last night, did the same thing the night before. and again, these are mostly unvaccinated patient. only admitted one vaccinated patient over the entire period of the weekend. >> what are you seeing in terms of ages, in terms of what kind of patient is in the hospital because we know vaccination rates nationally, in florida, across the south are high for older people in this country. what's the profile of the patient you're seeing? >> you go back a year ago to last summer, what we saw was mostly elderly patients, people in their 70s, people with a number of other comorbidities