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The Centers for Disease Control’s limited tracking of Covid-19 cases in vaccinated people is hindering public health officials’ attempts to stem the nationwide surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

The agency said in May that it would stop routinely tracking so-called breakthrough infections that didn't lead to hospitalization or death. Several states then stopped tracking mild breakthrough cases, and at least two states told POLITICO they are having trouble reliably tracking infections in vaccinated people.

Now some public health experts and lawmakers are pressuring the CDC to reverse its decision and collect comprehensive data on infections in vaccinated people — from mild to severe. Such cases are very rare, but monitoring them can help reveal how likely a vaccinated person is to infect others, and how well vaccines work over time and against emerging Covid-19 variants. State and local officials also need information on breakthrough cases to make better, more targeted, decisions about when masks are warranted or whether to limit the size of gatherings.

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American swimmer Katie Ledecky is once again the Olympic champion at the 800 meter freestyle.

She touched the wall first at 8:12.57, besting her Australian rival Ariarne Titmus who cruised to silver at 8:13.83. Italy's Simona Quadarella took the bronze. American Katie Grimes was fourth.

It was Ledecky's second individual gold at the Tokyo Olympics after her win in the 1,500 meter freestyle. She won silver behind Titmus in the 400 meter freestyle.

Ledecky won Olympic gold in the 800 meter freestyle in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

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Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Friday it was making vaccination mandatory for all its on-site salaried and non-union hourly employees in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.

"Employees who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions," Disney said.

July 30 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Friday it was making vaccination mandatory for all its on-site salaried and non-union hourly employees in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.

"Employees who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions," Disney said.

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The U.S. Justice Department sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday, seeking to block an executive order that restricts the transport of migrants through the state and authorizes state troopers to pull over vehicles suspected of doing so.

In a lawsuit filed in El Paso federal court, the Justice Department said Abbott's order, which he said was aimed at preventing migrants from potentially spreading the coronavirus, illegally infringes upon the federal government's jurisdiction over immigration matters.

The order, which Abbott signed on Wednesday, permits only "law enforcement officials" to provide ground transport for migrants detained for illegally crossing the southern border. It also gives the state's public safety department the authority to stop any vehicle suspected of carrying migrants and send it back to its point of origin.

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California’s public health agency this week recommended that people wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status, one of several steps taken across the state as part of an urgent effort to curb the rise of coronavirus infections.

“The Delta variant has caused a sharp increase in hospitalizations and case rates across the state. We are recommending masking in indoor public places to slow the spread while we continue efforts to get more Californians vaccinated,” said Dr Tomás J Aragón, the state’s public health officer, in a statement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, counties, cities, school districts and employers across the state have announced their own measures around masking and vaccinations, sometimes going further than federal and state recommendations.

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More than 295,000 pounds of raw beef products are being recalled because they may be contaminated with E. coli.

Greater Omaha Packing, an Omaha, Nebraska meat processor, is recalling select products produced on July 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Thursday.

The products may be contaminated with the strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and have an establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

According to the recall notice, these items were distributed to further processors in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska. A list of where the products were sold was not included in the recall.

Greater Omaha did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

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Six passengers sailing on Royal Caribbean International's Adventure of the Seas, which departed from Nassau Saturday, have tested positive for COVID-19, Lyan Sierra-Caro, spokesperson for Royal Caribbean, confirmed to USA TODAY Friday. All are American citizens.

The tests came back as part of routine, end-of-cruise testing, which is offered as a courtesy by the cruise line since most passengers need to show proof of a negative test in order to return home. Travelers flying to the U.S. from international destinations are required to show proof of a negative COVID test or proof they recovered from the virus within the past three months.

"These guests were quarantined and then retested with a PCR test to confirm their diagnosis," Sierra-Caro said. PCR and antigen tests were offered to passengers, depending on their destination. The tests that came back positive were rapid tests, and those passengers were retested Thursday or Friday with a PCR test, which is more reliable.

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