The states with the highest cases per capita also have some of the lowest vaccination rates.
The seven-day average of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. has gone up by approximately 11% since last week and hospitalizations by 7%, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday, as the more transmissible Delta variant fuels new surges across the country—particularly in states where vaccination rates remain low. 51.7%. That’s the estimated percentage of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. linked to the Delta variant as of July 3, according to the CDC, though Walensky said in some areas of the country as much as 80% of cases are linked to the strain. That national percentage could be an underestimate given a lag in the time it takes for labs to report test results to the CDC, with Walensky acknowledging Thursday that while the figure is the “best estimate at this point,” it “has some uncertainty around it.” “Widespread vaccination is what will truly turn the corner on this pandemic,” Walensky said Thursday, calling the rise in cases and hospitalizations “new and concerning trends” that are particularly linked to areas with low vaccination rates. “Please know if you are not vaccinated, you remain susceptible, especially from the transmissible Delta variant, and are particularly at risk for severe illness and death.” While some states are seeing significant spikes in their Covid-19 case rates, cases are skyrocketing even higher in several U.
