Some schools go online as COVID-19 cases rise

Rice University in Houston starts its fall semester online on Wednesday. As a private university, the school required vaccines and masks on campus, but after a number of vaccinated students tested positive for the virus, Rice returned to virtual classes. The University of Texas in San Antonio will begin the semester with most classes online due to rising COVID-19 cases in the city. In Georgia, most schools started the semester without mask requirements, but now more than half have implemented them after outbreaks among students and teachers.

How are other states faring? Hawaii Gov. David Ige asked visitors and residents to reduce travel to the islands to essential business only while the state struggles to control COVID-19. About 75 doctors in Palm Beach County, Fla., walked out of their hospitals early Monday morning to draw attention to the surge in coronavirus patients and ask more people to take the vaccine.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report on how universities are handling student vaccinations for this semester.