CDC director warns of 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' as cases rise
By Peter Sullivan - 07/16/21 12:20 PM EDT
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky warned of rising cases on Friday, stating that COVID-19 is "becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated" and that vaccinated people are protected against severe disease.
The highly transmissible delta variant is fueling expanding outbreaks, but they are centered in parts of the country with lower vaccination rates.
"This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated," Walensky said during a White House press briefing. "We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage, because unvaccinated people are at risk."
The country is averaging about 26,000 cases per day, nearly a 70 percent increase from the previous seven-day average, Walensky said. Hospitalizations are also up, to about 2,790 per day, a 36 percent increase from the prior week and deaths are up 26 percent to 211 per day.
But almost all of the hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated people. Walensky said 97 percent of people entering the hospital with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
more
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/563391-cdc-director-warns-of-pandemic-of-the-unvaccinated-as-cases-rise