Delta surge leads to more vaccinations

New infections of COVID-19 topped 100,000 on Friday for the first time since February, fueled by the spread of the delta variant. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN that the surge has led to a 56 percent increase in vaccinations in the last few weeks, especially in the hardest-hit areas. But the increase is not yet keeping pace with the rising COVID-19 caseload.

Where are cases increasing? On Sunday, 10,207 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 in Florida, breaking a previous record set more than a year ago. A day earlier, Florida reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state’s highest one-day total since the pandemic began. Across the country, hospitalizations have nearly tripled since last June. Deaths are now creeping up as well, up about 40 percent since early July.

Dig Deeper: Read Charles Horton’s report examining the COVID-19 claims made by alternate medical organization America’s Frontline Doctors.