Cases are on the rise again. The delta variant is spreading quickly and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is now the predominant strain in our country.
According to the CDC, the delta variant is making up for 83% of COVID cases. That's up from 50% at the beginning of this month.
Officials say they are seeing the most cases in patients who are unvaccinated. Only 54% of people living in New York City have gotten the shot.
Taking a closer look at the numbers, there were 363 positive cases on July 13. Fast forward one week to July 21 and new positive COVID cases shot up to 597. On July 22, there were 644 positive cases.
New York City Health + Hospitals says 58% of its staff is fully vaccinated. Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week it is mandatory for all city health care workers to be tested for COVID each week or get vaccinated.
No mask mandate has been put back into place just yet.
The message from the CDC remains that the best way to stop the spread of COVID is to get vaccinated.