Map Shows Which States Are Getting Hit Hardest By Delta Variant

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has forced countries all over the world to reimpose masks, social distancing, and lockdown procedures, including the U.S., where some states have been hit harder by the new variant than others. A map tweeted by epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding showed which states were taking the brunt of Delta variant infection. According to the graphic, 38 states are in the red, showing an increase of at least 50 percent in new cases in the last week. These states include Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado, Michigan, and nearly all the states in the south. Eleven states were in the 10-50 percent new cases range, which includes Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Only Montana was declared "steady" according to the map, and there weren't any states that were reportedly on the downward slope. The Delta variant, which is at least twice as infectious as the formerly-dominant Alpha variant, was first detected in India in December, and according to data from John Hopkins University, the seven-day average of new cases has climbed to about 23,300 a day, nearly double the average from a week ago. Chief WHO Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said in a press conference, "The virus hasn't gone. In fact, it's looking for opportunities to spread and to change itself, mutate and develop new variants. So, I think this is the time for caution." Some counties in the U.S. have already begun taking precautions, as on Thursday, Los Angeles County declared that they would be reinstating indoor mask mandates in all public spaces after officials reported more than 1,500 cases of the virus, the most since March. And New York City has yet to reinstate indoor mask mandates, but it but is looking at options. The city's health commissioner, Dave Chokshi, said that the Delta variant now makes up 69 percent of the virus cases being reported in New York City. According to the CDC's COVID vaccine data, a little more than 48 percent of the people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, and nearly 56 percent have received at least one. But states like Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Wyoming are among the states with the lowest vaccination rates. "Those are going to be the more vulnerable parts of this country," Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told Squawk Box. "It's going to be hyper-regionalized where there are certain parts of the country we can have very dense outbreaks." "Unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better in terms of the spread of this infection right now," Gottlieb added.