U.S. COVID-19 cases hit six-month high

[NFA] The United States hit a six-month high for new COVID cases with over 100,000 infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant ravages areas where people did not get vaccinated.

This report produced by Zachary Goelman.

Daily COVID-19 infections have spiked to more than 100,000 in the U.S., according to a Reuters tally.

That figure, recorded Wednesday, is the highest in six months, a staggering jump after the nation was averaging just 10,000 daily cases in July.

The daily surge is reflective of a Delta variant that is ravaging areas with low vaccination rates, a point White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients emphasized on Thursday: "In fact, over the past seven days, Florida and Texas have accounted for about one-third of new cases, and more than one-third of new hospitalizations nationwide...States with some of the lowest vaccination rates, account for about half of new cases and hospitalizations in the past week.

Despite making up a less than a quarter of the U.S. population." Hospitals in Florida and Louisiana are seeing record numbers of COVID patients filling up beds, but Republican leaders in some states have largely rejected mitigation measures, such as indoor masking and vaccine requirements, and even moved to prevent businesses and schools from taking protective steps.

Despite the surge in cases, Texas governor Gregg Abbott said he would not waver: "Going forward in Texas there will not be any government imposed, shutdowns or mask mandates" President Joe Biden this week urged leaders in Florida and Texas - home to roughly a third of all new U.S. COVID-19 cases - to follow public health guidelines on the pandemic or "get out of the way".

In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told Biden to focus on illegal border crossings instead of a pandemic that has killed more than six hundred thousand Americans: "...why don't you get this border secure, and until you do that, I don't want to hear a blip about COVID from you.

Thank you." Coronavirus deaths jumped 33% over the past week, averaging about 377 deaths per day.