New figures show how bad the US Covid-19 surge is. But experts say we can turn things around

These 5 figures show how bad the US Covid-19 surge is. But experts say we can turn things around As the rate of Covid-19 vaccinations climbed and new infection numbers plummeted in spring, many Americans thought they were in for a carefree summer. But lagging vaccinations and a highly contagious new variant dragged the US back into a vicious Covid-19 surge -- one that's prompted new mask mandates and measures and still shows no signs of slowing down. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

As the rate of Covid-19 vaccinations climbed and new infection numbers plummeted in spring, many Americans thought they were in for a carefree summer.

But lagging vaccinations and a highly contagious new variant dragged the US back into a vicious Covid-19 surge – one that’s prompted new mask mandates and measures and still shows no signs of slowing down. ...

As of Friday, America’s seven-day average of daily Covid-19 cases was more than 107,100 – the highest average in nearly six months, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The last time average daily cases topped 100,000 was February 11. Average daily cases have seen a nine-fold increase since early July.

More than 66,000 Americans were hospitalized with Covid-19 across the country as of late Saturday, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

America’s Covid-19 hospitalizations haven’t been this high since February. ...

Behind the country’s latest surge is the Delta variant, which now accounts for more than 93% of coronavirus circulating in the US, according to data from the CDC. This includes several sub-lineages of Delta, all of which are classified as variants of concern. The number is even higher in parts of the country including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, where Delta accounts for more than 98% of circulating virus....