Episode #1 / 2021_12_01

And of course the other concern going into this Thanksgiving holiday. The numbers tonight, new COVID cases up 40% overall in the country as we near Thanksgiving. And cases among children, this number tonight, nearly 142,000 new cases just last week. Here's ABC'S Erielle Reshef.

Tonight pediatricians warning COVID infections among children are once again on the rise, up 40% since late October. Nearly 142,000 new cases just last week. Over the past two to three weeks, we've seen a significant increase. It's just a little pinch and it'll be over quickly, OK? With children accounting for one in every four new COVID cases, there's a push to get more shots into arms.

As much as we'd all love to be past this pandemic, we're not and cases rising is always a concern. Kids are not as severely affected as adults but they certainly can and do get hospitalized.

In Virginia, eight year old Ashland South was hospitalized with that rare pediatric inflammatory syndrome, weeks after her parents had COVID.

She's always been our healthy kid. I just didn't think this could happen to us, and it did. 35 million children who are eligible are still unvaccinated. But tonight, there is more promising data on the vaccine in adolescents. Pfizer reporting its shots were safe and 100% effective at preventing COVID in 12 to 15 year olds for at least four months. New COVID cases are ticking up across 32 states, with overall infections up 42% in the last four weeks.

We're dealing with a much more contagious variant than we did before.

Overwhelmed hospitals in Michigan reportedly asking the Pentagon for emergency staff. And in Minnesota, the National Guard now training teams to help ease nursing shortages.

And David, Michigan hospital officials say that their ERs have more patients than they have rooms. They're using hallways, conference rooms, and in some cases diverting patients altogether. They say things could get worse before they get better, and they are urging the public to get vaccinated. David.

All right, Erielle Reshef tonight. Erielle, thank you.