>>> UNITED STATES CROSSING WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLED A TRAGIC MILESTONE. 1 MILLION DEATHS FROM COVID SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. THE WHITE HOUSE MARKING THE DAY BY LOWERING FLAGS TO HALF STAFF UNTIL MONDAY. PRESIDENT BIDEN ALSO ADDRESSING A SECOND VIRTUAL COVID GLOBAL SUMMIT. HE THANKED WORKERS WHO HAD BEEN ON THE FRONTLINES FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. HE SAID, WE DON'T NEED TO LET THIS BECOME ROUTINE. IT IS STILL SO HORRIBLY SAD. THE PRESIDENT URGED WORLD LEADERS TO STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE PANDEMIC. >> WE CAN DO THIS. WE CAN CONTROL COVID-19. WE CAN START TO BUILD A BETTER, HEALTHIER, MORE SECURE FUTURE TODAY.
IF WE ALL DO OUR PART AND IF WE STEP UP TOGETHER. >> PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLED FOR CONGRESS TO PASS MORE FUNDING FOR TESTING, FOR VACCINES, AND ESPECIALLY FOR TREATMENTS. ALL OF THIS AS COVID CASES ARE WITHOUT QUESTION, RISING YET AGAIN IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. MEDROL COVERS SCIENCE AND MEDICINE FOR US. SHE HAS BEEN OUR ROCK DURING THE PANDEMIC. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT OVER. >> Reporter: SADLY IT IS VERY MUCH NOT. CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE BOTH RISING NATIONALLY NOW. CASES UP TO MORE THAN 80,000 A DAY ON AVERAGE. WHILE HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE UP 20% OVER THE PAST WEEK, WE HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT THE NATURE OF THOSE CASES HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. NOT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE ICU ARE NEEDING VENTILATORS, LIKELY DUE TO THE POPULATION HAVING SO MUCH BUILT UP IMMUNITY FROM INFECTIONS, VACCINATIONS, AND BOOSTERS. ON THAT FRONT, WE HAVEN'T SEEN DEATHS DRIVES DRAMATICALLY.
ALTHOUGH REPORTING MORE THAN 300 PER DAY. THE HIGHEST TRANSMISSION IS HAPPENING IN THE NORTHEAST. AND A BIT IN THE MIDWEST. ALTHOUGH IT IS PICKING UP IN MULTIPLE SPOTS AROUND THE COUNTRY. PART OF WHAT MAY BE DRIVING CASES HIGHER IS A NEW SUBVARIANT OF OMICRON. IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE 25% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN BA.2, WHICH WAS STILL MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN OMICRON. IT HAS BEEN GAINING IN PREVALENCE NOW MAKING UP MORE THAN 40% OF CASES NATIONALLY. IT IS MOST DOMINANT IN THE NORTHEAST, MAKING UP TWO THIRDS OF NEW CASES THERE. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED THAT AS IT SPREADS TO AREAS OF THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE A LOWER VACCINATION AND BOOSTER RATE IN THE NORTHEAST, IT COULD LEAD TO MORE SEVERE DISEASE, POTENTIALLY PUTTING MORE STRAIN ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. ALL OF THIS COMES AMID THE FIGHTING CONGRESS OVER NEW COVID FUNDING, EMPHASIZED TODAY AT THE GLOBAL COVID SUMMIT.
THE RESPONSE COORDINATOR HAS WARNED CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT WITHIN WEEKS IN ORDER FOR THE U.S. TO PLACE NEW ORDERS FOR FALL BOOSTERS. EXPECTED TO BE UPDATED TO ADDRESS NEWER STRENGTHS OF THE DIVERS. >> NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF THEM AREN'T SICK, THANKFULLY. SOME OF THEM ARE. SOME ARE VERY SICK PRETTY WONDER WHAT THAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS BEGINS TO SPREAD. >> Reporter: YEAH. AND EXPERTS POINT OUT, A LOT OF US KNOW PEOPLE NOW WHO HAVE .
