Unvaccinated individuals creating COVID mutations, health expert says Unvaccinated individuals creating COVID mutations, health expert says 16 hours 15 minutes 12 seconds ago Saturday, July 24 2021 Jul 24, 2021 July 24, 2021 11:35 AM July 24, 2021 in News - Local COVID-19 infections continue to spike nationwide with nearly 5,400 new cases reported in Texas on Friday. Of those cases, a total of 557 came from Hidalgo and Cameron counties. As the Delta variant fuels a new spike in infections, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that this wave is not expected to peak until October. According to UT Health Rio Grande Valley's chief medical officer, the virus keeps evolving. But the more people are vaccinated, the less opportunity the virus has to mutate.