Delta variant makes up more than half of Covid cases in U.S., CDC says

Source: Politico | July 6, 2021 | David Lim and Erin Banco

The sharp jump underscores the extent to which the Delta variant has spread throughout the country and raises questions about how the Biden administration plans to contain it at the national level.

The more-transmissible Delta Covid-19 strain accounted for more than half of the coronavirus cases in the U.S. between June 20 and July 3, according to new data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Tuesday.

A CDC spokesperson told POLITICO surveillance data indicated the Delta variant jumped from 30.4 percent of cases for the two-week period ending June 19 to 51.7 percent between June 20 and July 3.

The sharp jump underscores the extent to which the Delta variant has spread throughout the country and raises questions about how the Biden administration plans to contain it at the national level. The Delta strain represented more than 80 percent of cases across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska between June 20 and July 3, according to the new CDC projections.

The administration is struggling to increase the vaccination rate in southern and some western states. While the number of doses administered edged up slightly in recent days, the overall national vaccination rate has plateaued. About 55 percent of Americans age 12 and older are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky warned last week that the Delta variant was a growing threat to the unvaccinated population and that it could eclipse the Covid-19 Alpha variant in the coming weeks. “Looking state by state and county by country, it is clear communities where people remain unvaccinated are communities that are vulnerable,” Walensky told reporters.

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