New COVID-19 cases per day in the U.S. have doubled over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings.
Infections jumped to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
And all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have risen over the past two weeks.
Parts of the country are still running up against deep vaccine resistance, while the highly contagious delta version of the coronavirus that was first detected in India is accounting for an larger share of infections.
Nationally, 55.6% of all Americans have received at least one COVID-19 shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The five states with the biggest two-week jump in cases per capita all had lower vaccination rates: Missouri, 45.9%; Arkansas, 43%; Nevada, 50.9%; Louisiana, 39.2%; and Utah, 49.5%.
Meantime, the World Health Organization reported there were nearly 3 million cases globally last week, a 10% increase that was accompanied by a 3% rise in deaths, reversing a nine-week trend of declining COVID-19 incidence.
In its weekly report issued on Wednesday, the U.N. health agency says the highest numbers of new cases were from Brazil, India, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
WHO says the delta variant has been identified in 111 countries and it expects the variant to become globally dominant in coming months.
WHO says more transmissible versions of COVID-19 could emerge and “coupled with the relaxation and inappropriate use of public health and social measures and increased social mobility and mixing,” numerous countries would see higher cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
The organization acknowledged many countries are now facing “considerable pressure” to lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions but warned that “improper planning or assessment of the risk of transmission during any gathering or travel provides opportunity for the virus to spread.”