The highly transmissible delta variant has been officially confirmed in all 50 states as of this week, and health officials nationwide are raising alarms about localized coronavirus outbreaks as the Fourth of July weekend arrives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the strain makes up about a quarter of U.S. cases, with top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci calling it the “greatest threat” to getting rid of COVID-19.
Amid the variant’s spread, the country recorded a 10 percent increase in its seven-day average this week, although the average is 95 percent lower than the U.S.’s early January peak, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a Thursday briefing.
Administration officials have warned that unvaccinated people, including young people and children, are most at risk to contract the delta strain and experience serious illness, as the vaccine remains effective against the currently circulating variants.
