Missouri records highest rate of new COVID-19 infections in US
US health experts warn that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is driving up new infections and deaths nationwide, particularly in states with below-average vaccination rates. The increased COVID-19 rate is attributed to the Delta variant initially discovered in India, also known by the alpha-numerical designation B.1.617.2.
President Joe Biden’s original target of 70 percent vaccination of US adults by July 4 will not be met, as the vaccination campaign has come to a near halt. As of June 27, only 46 percent of the US population had been fully vaccinated, and 54 percent had received at least one dose. The seven-day average of vaccinations nationally had declined to 715,000 per day.
Two rural counties northeast of the Kansas City metro are seeing some of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the state, as vaccinations there are lagging. KMBC 9 spoke with health leaders in Livingston and Linn counties about what’s contributing to the spike. At one point in time both counties had zero COVID-19 cases, but now the numbers are rising. Health officials say variants and low vaccination rates are factors. Sign up for our Newsletters.
Variants Blamed for COVID-19 Spike in Northern Missouri medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.