Delta variant surges across U.S. South; political leaders clamp down again
More than 10,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida as of Sunday, surpassing that state s record. Louisiana was expected to break its record within 24 hours, prompting Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, to order residents to wear masks again indoors.
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Joseph Ax and Nathan Layne / Reuters | 6:40 pm, Aug. 2, 2021 ×
An MTA worker is seen wearing a mask on the subway after The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced a mandatory coronavirus vaccination or weekly test mandate for employees in New York City, New York, U.S., August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
FLORIDA (REUTERS) - Covid-19 hospitalizations in Louisiana and Florida have surged to their highest points of the pandemic, leading overwhelmed doctors on Monday (Aug 2) to plead with the unvaccinated to get inoculated against the Delta variant.
More than 10,000 patients were hospitalized in Florida on Sunday, surpassing that state s record. The surging Delta variant led Louisiana s governor to reinstate a statewide indoor mask mandate, with that state expected to break its record on Covid-19 hospitalizations within 24 hours. Hospitalizations in Arkansas are also soaring and could eventually break records.
Doctors in Louisiana who spoke during a Monday press conference with Governor John Bel Edwards pleaded with citizens to get vaccinated, warning that hospitals were overwhelmed and their ability to treat any patient was hamstrung.
August 02, 2021
Healthcare and business leaders from across Louisiana have spoken out in support of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mask mandate, which will help limit suffering and death as the state experiences its worst surge yet. The statewide indoor mask mandate, when coupled with efforts to increase Louisiana’s vaccination rate, is an important way to improve Louisiana’s COVID-19 situation without further harming Louisiana’s small businesses.
Here is a sample of some of the leaders who support Gov. Edwards reinstating the mask mandate. A link to all of the letters of support is below.
“As Louisiana once again faces another COVID-19 wave being fueled by the Delta variant, the demand being placed on hospitals across the state is simply unsustainable. The Louisiana Hospital Association, along with many of our hospitals and health systems, continues to promote the use of mitigation measures, such as the use of face coverings indoors, social distancing, limiting the size of
Utah will give KN95 masks to children as the Delta variant fuels Covid-19 hospitalizations nationwide
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By Holly Yan and Madeline Holcombe, CNN
The surge of Covid-19 fueled by the Delta variant and low vaccination rates is sending the country backward in the pandemic, with hospitalizations reaching wintertime levels.
For the first time since February 27, more than 50,000 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized Monday, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The 50,625 hospitalizations were more than triple the number from one month ago, when about 16,000 patients were hospitalized.
At this point, it might not be possible to reach herd immunity, the director of the National Institutes of Health said.
Texas & Florida had 1/3 of all U.S. Covid-19 cases in past week
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WASHINGTON, DC One-third of all U.S. Covid-19 cases reported in the past week were in just two states Florida and Texas according to White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients.
The cases are mainly in areas where vaccination rates remain low, Zients said at a briefing Monday.
“In fact, seven states with the lowest vaccination rates represent just about 8- 1/2% of the US population, but account for more than 17% of cases, and one in three cases nationwide occurred in Florida and Texas, this past week,” Zients said.