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Amid an increase in coronavirus cases across the country, members of the White House COVID-19 response team warned on Friday that communities with low vaccination rates would continue to see a preventable increase in cases , hospitalizations and deaths due to illness.
“This is becoming an unvaccinated pandemic,” Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press briefing. “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country where vaccination rates are low because unvaccinated people are at risk. “
The CDC reported more than 33,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the national seven-day average (26,300) up nearly 70% from the previous week. The seven-day average of hospital admissions (2,790) is up more than 35%. And after weeks of declines, the seven-day average of daily deaths, now 211, has risen by more than 25%.
Walensky said fully vaccinated communities “are generally doing well.”
“The good news is that if you are fully vaccinated you are protected against COVID hospitalization and death and are even protected against known variants, including the Delta variant circulating in this country,” she said. “If you are not vaccinated you are still at risk.”
Walensky added, “Our biggest concern is that we’re going to see preventable cases, hospitalizations and even deaths among the unvaccinated. “
More than 608,000 Americans have died of complications from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
According to the CDC, more than 56% of Americans aged 12 and over have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including nearly 80% of the population aged 65 and over.
But recent outbreaks have been reported in states and counties where vaccinations have been delayed.
“The result is still very, very simple,” White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said. “Unvaccinated Americans are not protected against serious illness, hospitalization, and death.”
“Every death from COVID-19 is tragic,” Zients added, “and those happening now are even more tragic because they are preventable. “
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