Coronavirus tally: Omicron boosters may be ready after Labor Day as Moderna submits EUA application

Americans age 12 and older could begin getting omicron-specific COVID-19 boosters soon after Labor Day, according to a new report. The New York Times reported Tuesday night that the Biden administration is eager to approve the new boosters as soon as possible, and is close to authorizing the updated shots. On Tuesday, Moderna Inc. MRNA, +0.92% said it had submitted an emergency-use application to the Food and Drug Administration for its experimental bivalent COVID-19 booster for those 18 and older. On Monday, Pfizer Inc. [s; pfe] and partner BioNTech SE BNTX, -0.71% said they had completed the application process for their bivalent booster for those 12 and older. The news comes as U.S. known cases of COVID are continuing to ease, although the true tally is likely higher given how many people are testing at home, where the data are not being collected. The daily average for new cases stood at 91,663 on Tuesday, according to a New York Times tracker, down 16% from two weeks ago to the lowest level seen since mid-May. The daily average for hospitalizations was down 8% at 39,680, while the daily average for deaths is down 5% to 465. Globally, the confirmed case tally rose above 597.7 million on Wednesday, according to data aggregated by Johns 2Hopkins, while the death toll is above 6.45 million with the U.S. leading the world with 93.8 million cases and 1,041,491 deaths.