Coronavirus Watch: Gathering inside? Consider testing first, CDC says

Are you planning to gather indoors with people from outside of your household?

Even if you have no symptoms or exposures, you should consider using an over-the-counter or at-home test to self-test for COVID-19 before going, according to CDC testing guidelines updated Monday.

The agency encourages self-testing, especially if unvaccinated children, older people or people who are immunocompromised will be present indoors.

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

• The U.S. is expanding its aid for international vaccine access. The U.S. Agency for International Development announced a new program – the U.S. Government’s Initiative for Global Vaccine Access, or Global VAX – will invest $315 million to support vaccine readiness programs, in addition to $10 million for in-country vaccine manufacturing and $75 million for delivering life-saving resources such as oxygen.
• Early reports from South Africa seem to indicate the omicron variant is much more contagious than previous variants while causing milder disease, though experts there warn definitive data won't be available for weeks.
• About a third of U.S. states have now reported cases of the omicron variant, less than a week after the first case was confirmed in the U.S.
• Demand for vaccines has increased in the past week as scientists remain uncertain about the potential effect of the omicron variant and more Americans are eligible for booster shots. Thursday, health care providers administered 2.2 million vaccines, including over 1 million booster shots – the "highest single-day total since May," Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said at a news conference.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 49.3 million COVID-19 cases and 790,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 266.8 million cases and more than 5.2 million deaths. About 71% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 60% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 83% have received at least one shot, and about 72% are fully vaccinated.

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.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck