For the first time since June, the number of projected COVID-19 deaths in the US is decreasing

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN

For the first time since June, the rate of new COVID-19 deaths in the US is expected to decrease over the next four weeks, according to an ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And for the third week in a row, Wednesday’s CDC forecast predicted that hospitalizations will decrease as well — a bit of hope as the more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread.

Currently, an average of nearly 2,000 people die and about 114,000 people are infected with COVID-19 every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, estimated earlier this week that the Delta-driven wave of the pandemic could run its course by Thanksgiving, and COVID-19 could eventually become more of a seasonal nuisance than a devastating pandemic. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday that is dependent on getting a lot more people vaccinated.

Of the entire US population, 55.5% are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC. Health experts can’t say for sure what proportion of the population would need to be vaccinated to control the spread, but Fauci estimates that it would have to be the “vast majority.”

Officials and experts are employing multiple strategies to try to increase vaccination protection.

Schools, businesses and employers have implemented mandates for students and employees to be vaccinated against the virus. And the FDA has authorized booster doses to increase vaccine protection for vulnerable populations.

Many health experts are hopeful that more people will decide to get vaccinated as some regions strain to keep up with cases.

Alaska’s Yukon-Koshokwim Health Corp. announced Wednesday that it was preparing for the possibility of rationing services due to a surge in COVID-19.

“We’re doing the best for every single patient, regardless of what resources are available at any given time,” chief of staff Dr. Ellen Hodges said. “Unfortunately, however, as a result of the current surge in COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization and limited resources statewide, we are now in a position of making these difficult decisions on a daily basis.”

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that he believes the state is in the “eye of the storm,” and urged residents to get vaccinated to help decrease the surge.

“We’re going to lose a bunch more people, West Virginia, no question about that,” Justice said during a Wednesday COVID-19 briefing. “All I can possibly do, with a good conscience, is continue to urge you, in every way, to get vaccinated.”

About a third of parents say they’d vaccinate kids ages 5-11 right away, poll finds

A slightly increasing proportion of parents may be open to children ages 5-11 getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as one is available to them, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

No COVID-19 vaccine is yet authorized for ages under 12 in the US. But both Pfizer and Moderna have been testing various doses of their COVID-19 vaccines in children under 12, and health experts have said one could be authorized for ages 5-11 later this fall if multiple federal agencies sign off.

In a Kaiser poll published Thursday, about 34% parents of children 5-11 said they would vaccinate their child as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine became available for that age group.

That’s up from 26% who said the same thing in a July poll, the foundation said. About 32% of September’s respondents said they would wait to see how the vaccine was working, against 40% who said the same thing in July.

The percentage of parents saying they definitely wouldn’t seek the vaccine for their child this age group, however, has barely moved. About 24% of respondents said this in September, versus 25% in July, Kaiser said.

About 7% in September said they’d allow their child to get the vaccine only if required, against 9% who said the same in July.

Kaiser noted that the bulk of the interviews for September’s poll happened before Pfizer announced on September 20 that its COVID-19 vaccine was safe and generated a “robust” antibody response in children ages 5-11. Pfizer is now submitting that data to the FDA ahead of anticipated attempt to seek the agency’s authorization for vaccinating this age group.

The latest Kaiser poll was conducted September 13-22.

Thursday is vaccine deadline for California health care workers

On the local and federal level, officials are implementing vaccination mandates to increase protection.

In California, Thursday is the deadline for health care facility workers to complete a COVID-19 vaccination series — unless they receive an exemption — to keep working.

That includes anyone who works at a health care facility, including hospitals, long- and intermediate-care facilities and doctor offices and clinics.

Under an order issued August 5, the state health department said these workers must have a second dose of a two-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, or a single shot of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by Thursday.

The order lets workers ask for exemptions based on religious beliefs or qualifying medical reasons. Anyone granted an exemption must submit to regular COVID-19 testing: Twice a week for workers in acute health care and long-term care settings, and once weekly for workers in other health care settings.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced stringent new vaccine rules on federal workers, large employers and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain COVID-19.

He directed the Labor Department to require all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week. Companies could face thousands of dollars in fines per employee if they don’t comply.

Biden also said he would require the 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving funds from Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, expanding the mandate to hospitals, home care facilities and dialysis centers around the country.

Those requirements are still weeks away from being implemented, but employers should expect them to come this year, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

New York state ordered all health care workers there to receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by this past Monday, unless they received exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Some employees are already facing the consequences of not complying.

The St. Barnabas Hospital Health System had 58 employees who have failed to show proof of vaccination as of Wednesday, spokesman Steve Clark said. The employees are suspended and have until Monday morning to show proof of vaccination. If they don’t, they’ll be terminated, Clark said.

“Patient care has not been compromised at all,” Clark said. “Schedules have been created accordingly. People will work overtime, or part-timers or agency personnel will be brought in when necessary.”

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CNN’s Jason Hanna, Naomi Thomas, Lauren Mascarenhas, Deidre McPhillips, Holly Yan, Melissa Alonso, Andy Rose, Nikki Carvajal and Mirna Alsharif contributed to this report.