In a Thursday morning update, the White House COVID-19 Response Team said people in states where the Delta variant is hitting hardest are getting vaccinated in higher numbers. The video above shows White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky speaking at the briefing.
“In fact, in the past week, the five states with the highest case rates, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, had a higher rate of people getting newly vaccinated compared to the national average. This is a very positive trend,” Zients said. “People in these states are feeling the impact of being unvaccinated and responding with action.”
According to Zients, Florida has accounted for 20 percent of all U.S. cases two weeks in a row. This week, Florida, Texas and Missouri combined to make up 40 percent of U.S. cases.
“Within communities, these cases are primarily among unvaccinated people,” Zients said.
Dr. Walensky said depending on where you live, “you should certainly be wearing a mask if you are unvaccinated”.
However, the CDC has not changed its guidance that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks.
“If you are vaccinated, you get exceptional protection from the vaccines, but you have the opportunity to make the personal choice to add extra layers of protection if you so choose,” Walensky said.
Walensky went on to say local decisions on mask mandates could vary depending on vaccination levels and whether there’s a surge.
“Please know we together are not out of the woods yet, and you will want to make thoughtful decisions to protect your health and the health of your family and your community,” Walensky said. “We need to come together as one nation, unified in our resolve to protect the health of ourselves, our children, our community, our country and our future with the tools we have available.”