The effectiveness of vaccines among frontline workers declined to 66% after the delta variant became dominant, compared with 91% before it arose, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

White House Covid adviser Anthony Fauci said a third vaccine dose from Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE or Moderna Inc. could lead to lasting protection. The U.S. will increase payments for health-care providers to deliver vaccines at home. 

Israel lowered the minimum age for boosters to 30 from 40. The number of U.K. workers going to the office is increasing. 

Traffic on China’s typically busy city streets has shown signs of a recovery after the country quashed a resurgence in cases. A study said India may face an unprecedented 600,000 new infections a day if the nation fails to boost the pace of shots.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases top 212.7 million; deaths pass 4.44 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 4.99 billion doses administered
• Vaccine mandates at hospitals to soar on Pfizer approval
• Troubling kids' Covid data turn tide in school mask debate
• How Sydney’s Covid Battle Became Class Warfare: David Fickling

New N.Y. Governor Orders School Masks

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Monday she would institute a mask mandate for students at schools in the state and require staff to be vaccinated against Covid or tested weekly.

Hochul, in her first address after being sworn in at midnight, said she would make her first priority the safety of New Yorkers, especially children.

The 62-year-old Democrat said she would issue updated guidelines for Covid-19, particularly for schools, expedite aid to New Yorkers in need of rental assistance, and work to reform ethics in Albany.

Vaccine Efficacy Wanes From Delta, CDC Says

The effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines among front-line workers declined to 66% after the delta variant became dominant, compared with 91% before it arose, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vaccines are still protective, the CDC said. The finding must be interpreted with caution, as vaccine effectiveness might wane over time and the estimates of efficacy were imprecise.

U.S. Boosts Pay for In-Home Shots

The U.S. will increase payments for health-care providers to deliver Covid-19 vaccines at home. Medicare will pay $75 per dose, up from $40, for at-home vaccinations, the agency said Tuesday. The policy is intended to boost vaccinations “including second and third doses” for homebound Medicare beneficiaries, including those in group homes, assisted living, and other settings.

Greece Posts Biggest One-Day Case Jump

Greece reported 4,608 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day jump since the beginning of the pandemic. Earlier, the country’s health minister announced measures for the upcoming autumn/winter period that target unvaccinated people, including a ban on entering indoor areas of eateries and entertainment venues, as well as all sports fields or stadiums. The Greek authorities fear a further increase in cases as people return to mainland urban areas from summer vacations on islands such as Crete, where the virus has spread throughout the holiday period.