08/02/2021

U.S. Hits 70 Percent Vaccination Rate

The rate comes amid a surge of COVID infections

On Monday, the U.S. reached President Joe Biden's goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot in the arms of 70 percent of American adults ― a month after Biden's goal date and amid a fierce surge by the delta variant that is swamping hospitals and leading to new mask rules and mandatory vaccinations around the country.

Louisiana ordered nearly everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks again in all indoor public settings, including schools and colleges, and other cities and states likewise moved to reinstate precautions to counter a crisis blamed on the fast-spreading variant and stubborn resistance to getting the vaccine.

"As fast as we are opening up units, they’re being filled with COVID patients," said Dr. Sergio Segarra, chief medical officer of Baptist Hospital Miami, where the Florida chain reported an increase of well over 140 percent in the past two weeks in the number of people now hospitalized with the virus. "As quickly as we can discharge them, they're coming in and they're coming in very sick. We started seeing entire families come down [with it]."

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