Coronavirus Watch: Biden to unveil new strategy to stop virus spread

President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Thursday laying out a six-pronged strategy involving both the public and private sectors in his administration's latest efforts to boost vaccination rates and stop the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus.

The president's approval rating on his handling of the pandemic has dropped by 10 points since June, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll. The survey found 52% of adults said they approved of the way he is handling COVID-19, down from 62% who said he was doing a good job in late June.

It's Tuesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news you need to know.

• Millions of jobless Americans lost their unemployment benefits Monday, leaving only a handful of economic support programs for those who are still being hit financially by the pandemic.
• A strong majority of parents support requiring universal mask-wearing and teacher vaccinations in schools amid the surge in pediatric cases. That’s according to a new USA TODAY/Ipsos poll, which found declining optimism about distance learning as some schools, having just reopened, close or go back online.
• An estimated 42.5 million Americans traveled for the holiday to mark the end of summer, according to Arrivalist, a company that tracks travel data. The tally comes as the delta variant continues to spread and worries mount about potential surges after the long Labor Day weekend.
• The two most populous counties in Washington state began outdoor mask mandates Tuesday.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 40 million COVID-19 cases and 649,200 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 221.4 million cases and more than 4.5 million deaths. About 62% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 52% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 75% have received at least one shot, and about 64% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck