Coronavirus Watch: NYC will soon require vaccination proof for indoor activities

New York City will soon become the first major U.S. city to require people to prove they're fully vaccinated before participating in indoor activities.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the new requirement Tuesday, which will be phased in over several weeks in August and September for people entering indoor restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has urged private businesses to require vaccinations of their employees and customers and has mandated all state workers get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

De Blasio has also “strongly" recommended that vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors, but he stopped short of making masking mandatory.

It's Tuesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news you need to know:

• The United States has donated and shipped more than 110 million COVID vaccine doses to over 60 countries, a milestone President Joe Biden is expected to discuss in an address to the nation Tuesday afternoon.
• The announcement came after the Biden administration welcomed the news that 70% of American adults are now at least partially vaccinated.
• Florida and Texas had one-third of all COVID cases reported last week, according to the White House. The number of people hospitalized for COVID in Florida rose to an all-time high of 11,515 patients in one day and Texas now has more total statewide deaths than New York, the early epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S
• Two Florida school districts said they can't legally enforce a mask requirement because of Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order despite calls by many parents and doctors to have all students on district campuses wear facial coverings when classes begin next month.
• McDonald’s says it will require employees and customers to resume wearing masks inside some U.S. restaurants regardless of vaccination status. Home Depot, Lowes and Target have also put in place face mask mandates for workers.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has had more than 35 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 613,800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 199.2 million cases and 4.24 million deaths. More than 164.9 million Americans – 49.7% of the population – have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @NdeaYanceyBragg