COVID-19 live updates: San Jose Unified students return to classrooms

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A surge in coronavirus cases has been reported in the Bay Area and across California as well as the country due in part to the emergence of the highly-contagious delta variant.

The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC's 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7's daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

• MAPS: Check out the latest maps of COVID-19 cases, deaths in the US, world


• CORONAVIRUS IN CA: Get resources and information about COVID-19


• LATEST LOCAL CASES: Updated number of COVID-19 cases, deaths in San Francisco Bay Area

Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:

10 a.m.
US health officials recommend COVID booster shots as infections soar
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling.

The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20. Get more details here.

9:40 a.m.
LA County requiring face coverings at major outdoor events
People attending major outdoor events in Los Angeles County will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, under a new order issued by the county health department. The order says those attending "outdoor mega-events" must wear a face covering at all times except when eating and drinking.

6:10 a.m.
San Jose Unified students return to classrooms
It's the first day of school for kids in the South Bay. The San Jose Unified School District says teachers and students are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

2:15 p.m.
Lafayette Art and Wine Festival canceled due to COVID-19 'setback'
The Lafayette Art and Wine festival held annually in downtown Lafayette has been canceled due to the Delta variant and spread of COVID-19, according to the event website.

"As we all know, there has been a significant setback in the public health response to the pandemic, driven by the delta variant and low vaccination rates (not in Lamorinda, but elsewhere)," the event website read.

Next year's event will be held Sept. 17-18, 2022. For more information, click here.

2 p.m.
San Francisco's Great Dickens Christmas Fair canceled due to Delta variant
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair held annually at the Cow Palace in San Francisco has been postponed until 2022, organizers announced on the fair website.

Organizers cite the transmissible Delta variant as the reason for canceling this year's event. The fair will be held virtually for the second year in a row.

11 a.m.
CA test positivity rate under 6%
Today's California coronavirus data shows our test positivity rate is under 6%. The positivity rate hasn't been this low since July 28, when it was 5.9%. It jumped to 6.2% on July 29. For reference, the state has been above 5% since July 23.

Here are the latest numbers:
9,748 new cases
4,043,407 total cases
7 new deaths
64,201 total deaths
7 day test positivity rate = 5.8%

7,837 hospitalized patients (up 262)
1,746 icu patients (up 56)

4:30 a.m.
New CA cases 600% higher among unvaccinated
California released new COVID-19 numbers showing the vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated. Those cases are 600% higher compared to cases among the vaccinated. The CDC says 78.3% of eligible Californians have now received at least one dose. The California Department of Health says more than 45-million doses have been administered.

6:30 p.m.
Vaccinated staffer in Gov. Newsom's office tests positive for COVID-19
A vaccinated employee in Gov. Gavin Newsom's office tested positive for COVID-19, a spokesperson confirmed Monday night. The person has not interacted with the governor or staff that "routinely interacts" with Newsom, according to his press office.

3:30 p.m.
San Francisco to reopen mass COVID testing site
The City of San Francisco will open a mass COVID-19 testing site at the South of Market neighborhood due to rising daily cases, Mayor London Breed announced on Monday. The site will open on Aug. 18 on 7th and Brannan Streets with the capacity to administer 500 tests per day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week by appointment only. Drive-thru and walk-up services are available, and test results will be ready within 24 to 48 hours. More info here.

6:40 a.m.
West Contra Costa Unified returns to in-person learning
27,000 students in the West Contra Costa Unified Schools will also be returning to in-person learning today for the first time in a year and a half. That includes students at Michelle Obama Elementary School. They'll be on the Richmond campus for the first time since the school was re-built and named after the former first lady. Michelle Obama held a virtual grand opening at the start of the 2020-21 school year.