infection rates rising in almost half the states driven in part by the delta variant. low vaccination rates putting the country's progress fighting the virus at risk. >> the more unvaccinated people there are, the longer this pandemic will be. this is not just about the individual. this is about our society. >> reporter: a goueorgetown university analysis shows that it stretches from georgia to texas to missouri. places that could become breeding grounds for more deadly covid variants. >> a stronger mutation will surface and it will become predominant. >> reporter: new cases jumping more than 50% week over week in louisiana where just 35% are vaccinated and tennessee, where it is with 38%. >> simply put, in areas of low vaccination coverage, hospitalizations are up. >> reporter: with less than half the population fully vaccinated nationwide, the white house ramping up outreach to pediatricians and workplaces and on school campuses. >> our job is to keep doing all we can to reach americans where they are, to answer their questions, and to make it as easy as possible for

many of the new infections are due to the delta variant. the centers for disease control says delta is as contagious as chicken pox and can cause severe illness. unlike earlier variants, a single case of delta has the potential to infect many more people. president joe biden says tougher covid restrictions are likely on the horizon to combat a surge of infections and hospitalizations. it comes as the cdc releases new information about vaccinated americans and the highly transmissible delta variant. here is jeff zeleny with that. >> it is so darn important that everyone get vaccinated. >> president biden sounding the alarm even louder as the white house scrambles to contain a surge of covid cases from the delta variant, as contagious as the chicken pox. dr. rochelle walensky, head of the cdc telling cnn, i think people need to understand that we're not crying wolf here. this is serious. health officials now saying the delta variant can spread far wider than initially thought. with each infected person able to infect five to nine others. >> i

but this delta variant is really nasty. it is different than the covid that we dealt with last year. and just in a week, we went from no masks to all of a sudden everyone is saying that this is where we're going. >> as the u.s. fights a surge of covid cases driven by the delta variant, president biden is taking steps to push more americans to get vaccinated. jeff zeleny has a look at the choice government workers will soon face. >> reporter: president biden delivering some of the strongest words yet about the need to get vaccinated. taking several steps that his administration can do simply that goes beyond ainy requiring some who work in the federal government, 4 million or so will have to disclose if they are vaccinated or not. if they are not, they will have to submit to routine testing up to twice a week, they will not be able to travel for, would, they will have a hard mask requirement. so clearly this white house is trying to make it more difficult for people to not be vaccinated in the federal workforce. but what thi

there's a new delta strain spreads across the country. state media reports the main russian vaccine sputnik v is less effective against delta, than against other variants. infection rates and death figures have been running at record levels for much of the week. officials say moscow and st. petersburg, the country's two biggest cities are the worst infected. with infection rates there up to three times higher than the national figure, according to the head of the russian health watchdog. despite the covid surge, the kremlin arejecting any talk of a backdown. earlier this week, rules were put in place, making it mandatory for russians with jobs that involve working with the public, like in restaurants and transit businesses to get vaccinated by end of july or face dismissal. russians have been hesitant when it comes to vaccinations. according to the russian president, only about 15% of the population have been vaccinated so far. matthew chance, cnn, moscow. >>> indonesia's president is appealing for calm as the lockdown goes into effect fo

. >>> the delta variant fueled a surge in u.s. covid-19 cases as frustration at those not yet vaccinated begins to boil over. we'll ask are maverick mandates back on the table. >> a blaze of light opens the tokyo olympics. as events get under way a look at how teams are faring. >>> firefighters are braving this monster fire in oregon. we'll tell you just how many large fires are blazing in the western united states. live from cnn in new york, welcome to all of you watching here in the united states and around the world. i'm alison kosik and this is "cnn newsroom". >>> new coronavirus cases are surging across the u.s. driven by the highly contagious delta variant. new covid infections are up 50% or more in a majority of states. much of that is among the unvaccinated and less than half the u.s. population has had all of their shots. health experts are warning americans the rapid spread of the delta variant are making vaccinations even more important. >> reporter: as the biggest public health crisis in a century threatens to get wors

and it's less likely for a vaccinated person to get the delta variant. that being said, we're starting to see an uptick in admitting people with the delta variant. >> and less likely to die. i think the latest statistic i saw was 99% of deaths are unvaccinated people, which makes it a bit of a no-brainer. i wanted to ask you just quickly before we go, in the u.s., there are the new mask mandates by companies as well as the federal government to require workers to be vaccinated. similar measures in europe. are these tactics the right way to go? are there risks in coercion versus persuasion? >> listen, i'm an american. i was born and raised here. i believe in autonomy, freedom of speech. i support americans that feel like their autonomy is being violated by being mandated to be vaccinated. that being said, the double edge of that sword is if you get covid, you could die from it. you could have a long-haul set of symptoms from covid, and that's on you. you make your choice, and you lay in bed with it, and that's on you. but, you know, there's two edges to e

case counts are rising rapidly thanks to the delta variant. virtually all restrictions are set to be lifted in less than two weeks' time. and the uk truthfully does not have a great track record for tracking and tracing the virus by any stretch of the imagination. yet the government continues to forge ahead with its plans to reopen despite the fact that case counts, which right now are about 25,000 per day or so, could be set to rise to about 100,000 per day. if you look at the government, though, says there's a big difference. if you look at these graphs, the last time that the uk saw roughly this amount of cases per day, that was back in january. and hospitalizations were about ten times higher. the time before that when the uk was on the upswing of cases, they were about five times higher and the uk had just come out of several weeks of lockdown. so the situation is quite different now because of the vaccines. so in addition to lifting virtually all those restrictions, rosemary, you mentioned that starting in august, fully vaccinated people

largely, driven by the delta variant. now, just this week, cases reached its highest numbers since mid-may and the vaccine rollout is, still, moving incredibly slow. only about 17% of japan's population has been fully vaccinated. now, as a result, on thursday, japan's prime minister declared a fourth state of emergency for the capital. lasting until august 22nd. and, michael, that means that these olympic games will be held under a state of emergency order. >> yeah. they won't be like the usual ones, that's for sure. blake essig in tokyo. appreciate it. good to see you. thanks. >>> now, police in bangladesh are investigating an enormous fire that officials say killed 52 people, at least. the flames broke out on thursday at a juice factory. firefighters finally getting it under control the next day. but many factories in the country do not have adequate fire and building-safety standards, as cnn's kim brunhuber reports. >> reporter: clouds of black smoke billow through the area of this multistory building, as firefighters

so the true impact of this brutal delta wave has been largely hidden from view. but cnn obtained this disturbing video from the emergency room at a johannesburg hospital. >> patients are awaiting on stretchers. they're in cubicles. doctors are overwhelmed. nurses are overwhelmed. >> not enough beds, and what does that result in, in these waiting areas of the hospital? >> it's -- it's chaos. >> reporter: the senior doctor wanted to speak out, reveal what they call war zone-like conditions. we agreed to hide their identity because they were afraid of reprisals from the government. in recent days, they said the bodies couldn't be wrapped fast enough to make space for the sick. >> there are patients who are dying while they're awaiting to be seen, while they're awaiting to go to the ward because the resources are just being overwhelmed by the onslaught of patients. >> how does that make you feel? >> the sense of helplessness, but then also almost a blunting, a desensitization that we're doing everything we can, but it's still not enough. >> reporter: patel's team is

also driven by the more transmissible delta variant. we're tracking developments across the region and have more from hong kong. anna, great to see you. you look at how the first year of the pandemic and how the region did. it seemed to do better than the rest of the world, but now that's changed because of the delta variant. >> reporter: that's absolutely right. there's been an explosion of cases here in asia, and governments are really scrambling. let's look at what's happening in australia right now. this have been thousands protesting on the streets of sydney and medilbourne against e lockdown. there have been dozens of arrests. this happening as new south whales reports 163 cases, 136 yesterday. there's flow den -- no denying that the delta variant is taking hold in australia. but look at the vaccination rate. it is just over 11%, and the government admits that the vaccine rollout has been woeful. but this has been a problem for many countries in this region. a taxi graveyard. the colorful cars now sitting idle in a field. there ar

of samples that are the delta variant. keep in mind we only had our first delta variant identified may 1st here in the state. >> reporter: little rock's university of arkansas for medical sciences hospital reopened its covid-19 unit this week and is planning to expand it in the weeks ahead. >> there's no doubt in my mind that our patients now are sicker. they're coming in more acutely ill. they're requiring more intensive care to manage their infections. it's a different monster than it was a year ago. >> reporter: covid-19 and its new variant still very much a threat. >> if i would have known, then i would have definitely got it while i was pregnant to keep from having to deliver him at 33 weeks. >> reporter: the williss hope to take lincoln home in the next couple of weeks. they also plan to get vaccinated as soon as possible. look, it's as simple as this. since the end of january, 99% of the people who have died in the state of arkansas from covid-19 were not vaccinated. officials here now concerned about july 4th and t

as the more contagious delta variant becomes the dominant strain. a couple of weeks ago we started to see a trickling in of coronavirus patients. but in the last week, i've seen a significant rise. >> reporter: the surge in case numbers also come as the cdc releases updated guidance for schools, emphasizing in-person learning is a priority. while also promoting masking, physical distancing and vaccination for those eligible. still, california which has seen at least a 50% jump in covid cases week over week with public schools offering remote learning options this fall. despite rising numbers in new york and many other states we're here outside of the javits convention center, one of the three mass vaccination sites that shut down friday. it's part of the effort to allow for vgreater focus on local averages. athena jones, cnn, new york. >>> so as the delta vaent becomes the strain in the u.s. in israel, daily cases have doubled since the variant was first detected but its death rate has remainlied relatively low. and while both cases and dentals have

health authorities say the delta variant could make reaching that threshold harder. in california, where the positivity rate has doubled, the strain is responsible for more than one-third of new infections. some officials are asking people to wear masks in indoor public spaces even if fully vaccinated. >> we are not requiring people who are vaccinated to wear those face coverings indoors, we're just making a strong recommendation, if you're indoors in a setting where you don't know everybody else's vaccination status, and in fact, there may be unvaccinated people around, for security for others and for safety for others, it is best at this point to prevent another surge here in l.a. county by having everyone in those settings where it could be crowded and you're indoors, often with poor ventilation, to keep those face coverings on. >> it's independence day here in the united states, and the u.s. travel organization aaa estimates about 48 million people are travel this will holiday weekend by air or car. those big numbers are causing big headaches. southwest and ameri

with the delta variant surging, the u.s. president is getting ready with his toughest mandate. >>> and this is all we have, this is what we nighfight for. if we don't have this, where to we go? >> californians forced to evacuate and leave everything behind. state officials are now pleading for wildfire assistance. >>> and the police who helped defend the u.s. capitol from the january 6 rioters say they didn't get enough support. good morning, everyone. happy thursday. at a time of growing division and debate over masking and vaccinations in the united states, there is one thing that is certain. the delta variant is fueling a rapid surge in cases and it is really forcing officials to push mandates to protect americans. now, in the coming hours, u.s. president biden is set to lay out the next steps in the fight against covid-19. and that includes boosting vaccinations. a source says that he is expected to announce that all federal workers and contractors will be required to get a shot or submit to regular testing. the move com

we know the delta variant is more transmissible. we know the mrna vaccines hold up, but not quite as well as some of the earlier variants. one thing i would stress, however, is that if you look at the data coming out of israel, despite, you know, these -- i won't even call it concerning numbers -- israel has not had a covid death in ten days. so, you know, whether more people are contracting the virus, what we're not seeing coming out of israel is serious illness or death, and that's what these vaccines really are intended to do, prevent serious illness and death. >> yeah, that is critical. dr. reiner, thank you so much for talking with us. we appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >>> well, rich countries with better access to vaccines are quickly lifting covid restrictions or getting ready to do so. but the world health organization is warning them to slow down. the head of the emergencies program says a new wave of the virus could arrive in the coming months. this time driven by the more contagious delta variant that's causing cases to r

especially, of the delta variant. now, concerns about rising-covid cases in the uk have prompted -- prompted an extraordinary move by european football and italian authorities. they have cancelled the tickets of uk residents to saturday's england versus ukraine euro 2020 match which was to be held -- which is going to be held in rome. now, the football association said italy's government requested the move, out of fears that british travelers would circumvent the quarantine rules. the uk has reported the highest number of new-covid cases since late january. uk residents who bought tickets before june 28th were given an hour to return them, or transfer them. our barbie nadeau is standing by in rome for us, right now. just reading those details, i can only imagine. you know, not an exaggeration to say shock and horror for the english fans. and yet, and the decision was late. and yet, it seems to support those who say that, look, this was never a good idea to have fans at this event, anyway. >> no, that's right. that's t

driven, in part, by the more contagious delta variant. low-vaccination rates, putting the country's progress fighting the virus at risk. the more unvaccinated people, there are, the longer this pandemic is going to be. this is not just about the individual. this is about our society. >> reporter: a georgetown university analysis showing five clusters of counties with low-vaccination rates and significant-population sizes, stretching from georgia to texas to missouri. places that could become breeding grounds for more deadly covid variants. >> a stronger mutation will surface, and it will become predominant, unless we get vaccinated. >> reporter: new cases jumping more than 50%, week over week, in louisiana where just 35% are fully vaccinated. and tennessee, where it's about 38%. >> simply put, in areas of low-vaccination coverage, hospitalizations are up. >> reporter: with less than half the population fully vaccinated, nationwide, the white house ramping up outreach to pediatricians at workplaces and on school campuses. >> our job is to

this is as the first case of the delta variant was detected. officials said on monday that there was no evidence of community spread, but officials were investigating. >>> in australia, sydney's coronavirus lockdown is being extended for another week as the city tries to contain the delta variant. the new south wales premiere says the going is to make sure this is the only lockdown they will need until more people get vaccinated. 27 new local cases were detected in the state on tuesday. sydney's schools will move to remote learning next we'ek afte their winter break. florida euryou're >>> european officials are trying to get back to normal. germany is easing restrictions from a handful of countries including the uk and the british prime minister is facing questions with his plans to fully reopen engranland in less than two weeks. those who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to self-isolate if they come into close contact with someone who tersed p tested positive. scott mcclain is joining us. the british prime minister faces a lot of ques

and with delta, could make a bad situation tremendously worse. so the real challenge right now is whether or not we can come up with some kind of bargain in haiti with the politicians between the left and the right agreeing to define who the next president of the country will be. >> apart from the political crisis, you touched on this, and it's worth revisiting. what is the role of the gangs when it comes to social instability and insecurity? i mean there are calls and plans for elections and so on, but it would be pretty hard to vote or campaign when gangs control so much of the street. >> that's right. i mean you've had a gang phenomenon in haiti for quite some time. this is not something that's just emerged or materialized in the last couple of years. gangs are often deeply embedded in communities across the major cities of haiti, from the north to the center to the south. and they play a variety of roles. they provide protection. they extort and racketeer. but most importantly a lot of gangs in haiti are also implicated in politics. that is t

delta variant is more contagious. you have to have both doses to be safe and even though you're probably not going to die if you get it, with both doses, you can contract it but you could still spread it to those around you. that's what we have to watch with the new delta variant. >> all right, hopefully it will go smoothly. we'll have to leave it there. always a pleasure to to speak with you dr. scott miscovich. >>> an update on breaking news. cnn fphilippines confirmed 17 people were killed when a c130 plane crashed in the southern philippines. the philippines air force plane cass carrying troops to the sulu pro province. photos we just got show flames and smoke pouring from the crash site. at least 92 people were on board when it crashed. a military transport plane with the filipino air force crashed in the southern philippines. at least 70 people and 40 people rescued so far. we'll bring you details as they become more available. >>> we want to bring you information coming into cnn in the past few hours. officials

holiday weekend, travel as the covid delta variant spreads. live from cnn world headquarters here in atlanta. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom." >>> this is cnn breaking news. >>> we begin with breaking news right now from japan where authorities say at least 20 people are unaccounted for after a mudslide swept into the city of atami southwest of tokyo. let's bring in celina wang live from tokyo. celina, what's the latest? >> reporter: kim, exactly. we've learned that at least 20 people are missing as a mudslide hit this morning at 10:30 according to nhk. search and rescue is underway and the prefectural government has asked for addition 23458 support. no deaths have been reported yet. they have been searching for hours. and the video there, kim, is absolutely devastating. you can see the mudslide engulfing homes. infrastructure, debris knocking down everything in its path. the residents there are shocked. they are concerned. atami city is 67 miles southwest of tokyo. the area that was hit by the mudslide includes hot springs, shopping

most of these infections are due to the delta variant. and the centers for disease control says delta is as contagious as chickenpox and can cause severe illness. unlike earlier variants a single case of delta has the potential to infect many more people. now, the state of texas is starting to buckle under the weight of covid with a spike in those infections and hospitalizations. and several parts of the state are running out of available icu beds. our ed lavandera has the latest. >> 10.2. >> reporter: you're probably wondering what this pop-up veterinary clinic just outside of austin, texas, has to do with controlling the latest surge of the coronavirus. >> we're out here doing covid vaccinations today. if y'all been vaccinated or interested? >> reporter: this is what it means when you hear health officials say they're working to meet unvaccinated people wherever they might be. >> if you change your mind, we're right under there, under the red tent. >> reporter: austin public health teams partnered with a group which provides veterinary

all of it, of course, down to the delta variant. the philippines, for example, again, another very similar situation there. and what's the problem? the problem is that vaccines are not getting in. as an example, this week, we know that a shipment of 3.2 million doses of j&j, johnson & johnson's vaccine from the u.s. that he have started. that started on thursday. but it takes time to make sure that the distribution happens. there is a lot of bureaucracy. also, blocking the channels of getting these medicines, getting these vaccines to the people who really need them. here, in singapore, you mentioned karaoke bars. something that happened when, obviously, nightlife was shut down, people pivoted to getting food and beverage licenses. it meant that, if you were a nighttime establishment, you could open as a restaurant. well, the result has been, actually, that we have seen a sudden in surge in cases, even here in singapore. but it doesn't compare to the kind of numbers that we are seeing in other, major economies here in southeast asia

they are saying much of that is owing to the delta variant. how alarmed do you think all of us should be about this? >> well, the delta variant is, quickly, becoming the dominant strain not just in the uk and israel but really across the world. and israel -- excuse me, india, showed us what happens when delta spreads in a setting of low vaccination. israel and the uk, now, are case studies for what to expect in high-vaccination countries. and it is significant that, you know, the vaccines are still effective and i want to emphasize that. very effective. particularly, at preventing hospitalization and death. however, vaccines are comparatively less effective against the delta variant. and so, that number that we just heard in this new report out of israel, at about 64% effectiveness of the pfizer vaccine, is concerning, right? because it is only about a third. and so, what you worry about in a setting like what we're facing in the uk, as -- as cases start to rise predominantly in the younger portion of the population, is how much is transmissio

we can see the extreme contagiousness of the delta variant. >> cnn's phil black is in london for us. phil, let's start with freedom day. is there a celebratory mood there in the streets of london? >> reporter: no real celebration, no triumphant return to normal life in eng england. the mood is i guess more resigned which fits the prime minister's logic and his often repeated question you heard there, if we don't do it now, when should we do it. that logic essentially says there is no good time to do this. you're going to get a wave of cases inevitably, so better to do it in the summer months, better to do it when you've just hit a point where two-thirds of the population is now vaccinated. and this prime minister, who throughout the pandemic has loved to talk about his libertarian instincts wants to do this because he wants to restore people's freedoms, sense of choice to their lives. he wants to create opportunities for economic opportunity. all these things have been desperately missed through the pandemic, but the prime minister, the government is proceeding despite having present

. >>> covid cases are up nearly 68% from last week in the united states and the delta variant driving the surge is targeting the unvaccinated. just three states account for 40% of all new cases. missouri, texas and florida. florida alone accounts for one in five of new infections nationally with a stunning 73,000 reported in just the past week. governor desantis refused to put stricter protocols in place so the numbers are likely to climb. for those who think the worst of the pan demme sick behind us, this alarming visual may change your mind. louisiana's spike in new cases is rising to levels not seen since the winter surge. the state now has the nation's highest rate of new infections per capita and hospitalizations have quadrupled in the last three weeks. making matters worse, louisiana is among the least vaccinated states in the u.s. cnn's suzanne malveaux reports. >> reporter: it is a dire situation in the state of louisiana as it leads in the number of new covid cases per capita, more than any other state in the country at this time. there are pop-up vaccination sites trying to

specially delta variant. now it's worth noting that the world health organization, especially in reference to the northeast and africa, has warned that some countries are being pushed toward a critical point. tune eastern, a for example, last week was reporting its highest mortality rates to date. iraq is in a very tough position. iran is as well. >> all right. thank you. in istanbul. appreciate it. >>> one of formula one's heart stopping moments of the season on froo sunday. the red bull driver and four-time defending champion were involved in a crash a few turns after the start of the british grand prix. it sent him spinning into the wall. he was taken to hospital but later released with no injuries. the authorities found hamilton at fault but red bull says wasn't enough. it? should not be like. that he is an eight-time world champion. he shouldn't be making maneuvers like that. it is unacceptable. thank goodness the biggest result was that he was uninjured. he's having to go to hospital for precautionary f

we're talking about the delta variant now. we had that new data out of israel and it was a bit alarming to everyone, including me. when you see the vaccines are not as effective. when we take a closer look at the data, what do you see? >> it turns out that the current vaccines, the ones available in the united states, the pfizer and moderna as well as the johnson & johnson vaccines, we know they are protective against serious illness, hospitalization and death from the delta variant. the breakthrough cases, the people who were fully vaccinate and still tested positive for the delta variant, they were not tending to get as ill from the, from that particular variant. so that really shows us just how much, how important it is, right? right now for as many people as possible to get their vaccines in order to avoid illness and suffering. >> it's amazing even with all that data out there, that there is that vaccine hesitancy. >>> the coronavirus pandemic remains very dangerous even as some progress is made. here's a look at how case

independence day as america casts off pandemic safety measures concerns remain over the spread of the delta variant. and families flee the taliban as it moves to take online control of the country. we are live at bagram air base. ♪ ♪ >>> thanks for joining us, the search and rescue operation deto find 121 people in the condo collapse is expected to resume soon after a controlled demolition was done of what was left of the high rise officials say it had to be brought down for the safety of rescuers because it was unstable. and they stepped up the timeline for its demolition over concerns tropical storm elsa could topple it. >> those who were forced to evacuate the remaining portion of the building left their entire lives behind. we know that. and we are deeply, deeply concerned and empithetic to how difficult this time is for them and their families. >> our top priority is the building can come down as soon as possible, no matter when that occurs and as safely as possible. bri bringing down the building in a controlled manner is critical to allowing us to explore the area closest to the

. >>> the pandemic of the unvaccinated, the delta variant has u.s. leaders and health officials issuing a new call to action. >>> and firenado, how a wildfire started its own tornado. >>> live from cnn world headquarters, here in new york, welcome to all of you watching here in the united states and around the world. i'm alison kosik and this is "cnn newsroom." here is a snapshot of olympic medals awarded so far in tokyo. china the most at 9, the u.s. at 8. the u.s. leads with five gold medals, japan with three and team usa with two. coy wire is following the competition in tokyo. americans used their advantage in the swimming pool to get on the board today. tell me how they did it. >> reporter: since munich, team usa was shut out of medals on the opening day of competition at the summer olympics. things changed day two. american men finishing one and two in the 400 meter individual med lay. chase kalicz wins his first gold and the first for team usa at the games in tokyo. he won silver in rio. when he was 8-year-old he was on a ventilator and feedin

this variant, this delta variant. it creates 1,000-times more viral particles in the nose than anything, previous, that we have seen. the incubation period is half the time. it means, it is spreading faster than almost any disease you and i have seen, in our lifetime. it spreads faster and is more infectious than smallpox. maybe, twice as infectious as smallpox. >> when you -- when you put it like that, i -- i wanted, also, to ask you. europe -- europe's problem is similar to that of the united states, in some ways. vaccination levels. at or under 60% or so. less than that in the u.s. which is worrying but not as worrying as entire regions, like africa, being more like 2% vaccinated. the surges in southeast asia, in particular indonesia. how urgent is the need to get more vaccines to underserved regions? it's in everyone's interest and yet we have seen thousands of unused vaccines thrown out in the u.s. >> in the u.s. and canada and the uk have ordered three times the amount of vaccine that we could conceivably use, i

. >>> as new cases of the delta variant spike across the u.s., concern is growing about parts of the country where the vaccination rates are extremely low. in just a few hours, the billionaire race to space blasts off as richard branson prepares to fly on his space plane into suborbit just days before jeff bezos takes flight. >>> and it's a historic win for one of soccer's top stars as lionel messi leads his home country argentina to the copa america title. welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom. " >>> the u.s. is experiencing a surge of new coronavirus cases and it's posing a danger to unvaccinated americans. for the first time since may, the country has recorded 20,000 new cases for several days in a row. health experts fear cases may keep trending higher, because fewer than half of americans are fully vaccinated. the biggest clusters of unvaccinated people in the u.s. are in the southwest and midwest. los angeles county is jumping 165% over the past week. dr. stephen peroti joins me from s

so the key message really from delta is get vaccinated. it is the best way to protect yourself from this variant and from the other variants that we've seen before. >> the uk is also heading towards another for poe tential wave of coronavirus cases. the country just reported its highest number of new infections since the end of january. meanwhile health officials in scotland say about 1300 new cases there have been linked to euro championship events in england. salma abdelaziz is standing by in london. i read the strain accounts for some 99% of new covid cases there. that is incredible. but how big of a worry really is this? >> reporter: i think everyone is really watching and waiting to see what happens here in the uk because quite unintentionally, this has become the battleground for that great battle between vaccines and variants. because you have a highly vaccinated population here, over 85% of adults have received at least the first dose, at the same time you have the delta variant first identified in india, described as aggressive an

particularly when you have a variant like delta which has this extraordinary characteristic of being able to spread very efficiently and very easily from person to person. and we know we have many, many, many vulnerable people in this country who are unvaccinated. >> now, cnn's team is across the u.s. with the latest on the virus. suzan malveaux is in missouri where a controversial mask mandate is going into effect. but first let's go to paul vercammen in los angeles where covid hospitalizations are surging. > >>> the delta variant helping to drive up the number of cases. the most alarming statistic, hospitalizations we did see the number of new cases drop. but the hospitalizations jumped up 700 in l.a. county. hospitalizations for covid-19. and that is absolutely alarming. and so county health officials are saying that people need to wear their masks indoors and get vaccinated. the result of these hospitalizations is we're seeing a county hospital such as this, county usc is seeing more patients. they would have one or two patients in june, and now they're seeing 10 to 15 for covid-

but, you know, if it weren't enough, the delta variant. now, there's, in california, the epsilon strain to worry about which seems to make the vaccines dramatically-less effective. so as -- as an infectious-disease specialist, yourself, what can you tell us about that? >> well, you know, so this virus is doing what viruses do. um, if they're allowed to circulate around, they form new mutations. so the epsilon variant is, yet, another version of that. fortunately, even with the early studies -- um and we know that the epsilon variant has been around in california since may -- it has not become the predominant strain. and neutralizing antibodies are, still, made, even with the vaccines. so, my key message here is that the way to get this under control is to get vaccinated. um, and even if there are fewer antibodies made, you still have protection with the currently-available vaccines we have. >> yeah. i mean, getting vaccinated is the key there. sort of different ways to sort of reach those people who haven't been vaccinated. some say going

and the delta var kiant coupled with low restrictions don't bode well. >> by august, it will be delta dominant. but by august, the region will not be fully vaccinated. 63% of people are still waiting for their first jab. and in august, the w.h.o. roonlg on wil region will still be mostly restriction-free with increasing travels and gadhaftherings. >>> the prime minister says that the country should start managing covid-19 more like seasonal flu.cess of the plan w depend on vaccination goals. in the meantime only 3,000 international visitors per week will be allowed into the country. >>> there is some relief in site of the scorching temperatures in the northwest, but it has already taken dozens of lives. in oregon more than 50 deaths have been linked to excessive heat in the county which includes portland and authorities have received a record number of calls for million emergencies. just this week, 13 people have died in seattle, washington because of the high temperatures and millions in the eastern part of that state and oregon remain under heat advisories. the canadian village that

this is all because of the delta variant. ever since it arrived, this wave has been expected, and yet the government has proceeded with its plans to reopen society in england as of monday. reopening society in the middle of a growing wave. this is unprecedented. it is in many ways an experiment. it has not been attempted anywhere before. but the government hopes that it could work because of the advanced but incomplete vaccination program. the protection that comes with that will mean it helps high case numbers but a relatively smaller number -- it believes the inevitable wave that comes with reopening will be more manageable during the summer months. that's the theory. but the truth is there is tremendous uncertainty. even the government's own scientific advisers say they don't know how this is going to turn out because ultimately it comes down to people's behavior. how they choose to behave. the more cautious they behave, in theory the more manageable this will be. if you see a quick dramatic return to pre-pandemic-like beh

the highly-contagious coronavirus delta variant is continuing to tear through the united states. and rising-case numbers are showing it. according to johns hopkins university, the u.s. surpassed 20,000 new coronavirus cases, for four-straight days, this week. that is the first time that's happened since may. dozens of state are now seeing an increase in new covid cases, as experts are warning the highly-contagious delta variant could cause mini surges in places with low-vaccination rates. there is, still, a struggle to get americans vaccinated. it doesn't help that there was a little confusion, this week, as well. polo sandoval with that. >> reporte >> certainly, they need to listen to the cdc and fda. >> reporter: the nation's top infectious disease expert is saying listen to the cdc, and not pfizer, when it comes to needing a vaccine booster. on friday, this is what dr. anthony fauci told cnn about a phone call he received from the head of pfizer. >> the ceo, who's a really good guy, got on the phone with me last night and apologized that they came out with that recommendation.

the delta variant is surging across indonesia. on wednesday alone, the country reported more than 1,000 deaths and 35,000 new cases but the u.s. probably won't be sending its excess astrazeneca vaccines to north korea anytime soon. intelligence courses say pyongyang is refusing to administer that particular vaccine. cnn's paula hancocks explains why. >> reporter: it may surprise some that north korea may be picky about which coronavirus vaccine it's received. but this is what south korea is claiming at this point. now it's important to note, this is not coming from pyongyang themselves. they have not mentioned too much about vaccines. but we're here in this think tank which is created with the intelligence agency of south korea saying on friday that north korea have not received any vaccines at this point. also said that north korea is rejecting the astrazeneca vaccine, fearing side effects. now, according to this report from the inss also saying that north korea is hesitant to import the chinese vaccine due to mistrust. and also

>>> covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths are up in the united states with the delta variant, misinformation all to blame. we'll hear from a woman who is in hospital with the virus. >>> plus numerous athletes are testing positive for covid just days before the tokyo games. what is being done to try to stop the olympics are turning into a superspreader event. >>> and the billionaire space race continues as jeff bezos prepares for his blue origin mission. hello and welcome, i'm isa soares, welcome to our view hes around the world. this is "cnn newsroom."hes around the world. this is "cnn newsroom." >>> hello, everyone. we are just five hours away from seeing the world's richest man blast off into space. the 11 minute flight is the latest attempt to really up the stakes in the race to make commercial space tourism a reality. bezos will be the latest billionaire to space, richard branson flew there nine days ago. joining bezos is his brother mark and 82-year-old wally funk who was one of mercury 13 women, and also 18-year-old oliver daemen. and it is not coincidence that t is on the anniversary

there -- there are fears this delta variant will cause runaway spread in kids. just want to play a clip here from the chair of the cdc's advisory committee on immunization practices speaking on cnn. listen to this. >> we're seeing outbreaks in sites that we didn't see last year. so, we are seeing closures in daycares. we are seeing closures in summer camps. and all that leads me to believe that, in a setting where you don't have strict mitigation, that it will spread very, very quickly, like our schools. >> so, how concerned are you about that? and how worried should parents be about their kids, this fall? >> well, i think, we all want children to go back to school. the trick is to do it in as low-risk-a-way as possible. and there are several things we can do to provide that assurance. one is in our communities, there should be as little spread as possible. that means all of us, who are unvaccinated should get vaccinated. number two, certainly, every adult associated with school, teachers, school-bus drivers, the folks who work in the cafeteria, the custodians a

we all know powerful variants have emerged like the delta variant. but the best defense against these variants is to get vaccinated. >> reporter: now, the president also honored the service and sacrifice of military families and also those essential workers. and he really drew on that signature sympathetic tone as he talked about so many lives that were lost over the course of the past year due to the pandemic, even saying he was thinking of his own son, beau biden, who served in the military as he delivered those independence day remarks. this is the largest gathering the white house has hosted since president biden took office. guests were treated to one of the best views in washington with the fireworks here in the city. and there were about 1,000 people who had been invited, military families and essential workers. as the president reflected and thanked so many people for the sacrifice and service they've made in the past year of the pandemic. arlette saenz, cnn, the white house. >>> u.s. health experts are sounding the alarm over areas with low

here, caused by the delta variant. it's rampaging through the country here. i think that people are beginning to understand that. the health passes, they've made it pretty easy. you can do it online, you get this health pass that proves that you've been vaccinated. but you've got to get vaccinated. it has worked to some extent. this is the stick the government was using after years, not years, but months of trying to get people vaccinated with using carrots. the stick, in fact, people have to have something if they want to enjoy the normal social activities, and they have to show this pass. so it has increased the number of vaccination applications, every day there are more and more people getting vaccinated. like i say, about half of the french now have been doubly vaccinated. >> all right, jim bittermann, thanks so much. >>> we heard from jim about protests in france over the health cass. as of last wednesday, it's required for anyone wanting access to a venue of more than 50 or more people. that includes cinemas, th

almost two-thirds of those cases are from the highly contagious delta variant. and the netherlands is dealing with a 500% spike in cases in a single week. the prime minister has apologized for easing restrictions plea mrematurely. >>> england is still on track to reopen despite a surge in cases. phil black is standing by live in essex. so not everyone is on board with this plan to reopen monday amid surging cases. what is the latest? >> reporter: it is still happening but it won't be the big bang freedom day. the message has become more sober over the last week. yes restrictions will list, but they are asking for people not to change behavior quickly or dramatically to maintain the same caution and many of the same methods of behavior that they had been doing even through the darkest days of pandemic. take a listen to the health secretary explaining how the government wants people to behave going forward. >> it is so important that everyone act with responsibility. for example everyone should return to work gradually, they should try to meet people outside where

the delta variant is fueling a surge in new infections. on saturday the uk reported more than 54,000 cases, the highest number in six months. phil black joins me from excess, ek gland. a story everyone's talking about, one specific case of covid, the uk health secretary to tested positive for coronavirus. what is the latest on that and what repercussions might that have for boris johnson? >> reporter: the man only one step below boris johnson in having overall responsibility for england's response to the pandemic tested positive and isolating at home. what that means in theory also is that anyone who has had close contact with him would usually be told to isolate at home as well regardless of who they are. we have learned the prime minister boris johnson, the chancellor have both been contacted by the contact tracing system here because of the recent time they have spent with javid but not isolating despite the rules that usually apply to everyone in these circumstances. instead they're taking part in a pilot program which replaces isolati

the delta variant is fueling a surge in new infections. on saturday, the uk reported more than 54,000 cases. the highest number, in six months. phil black joins me now from essex, england. phil, so among those covid cases, the uk health secretary who tested positive for covid. so what's the latest on that and what repercussions might that have for boris johnson? >> well, it's not ideal timing for the government, certainly. as -- as -- as you touch on there, kim. because the health secretary is only beneath the prime minister, boris johnson, in having overall responsibility for coordinating england's response to the pandemic. and what it means, in practice, is that come tomorrow, come so-called freedom day, when england will effectively throw away the pandemic rule book, and restore freedoms. or at least transition, from rules, to a system of personal responsibility. he will not be free. he will be stuck at home. he will be isolating with his family. that will, also, apply to anyone who is identified as a recent contact. and so, that could

. >>> the delta variant is driving numbers higher. take a look at the map showing increases week over week. the dark red indicates states where case numbers are up at least 15%. it's well over half the country. health experts warn that the delta variant is hitting unvaccinated americans particularly hard. take a listen. >> and the virus is so contagious. the variant is so contagious, it will infect the majority that most people will get vaccinated or previously infected or get the delta variant. for most people who get the delta variant, it will be the most serious virus they get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital. >> according to data from the cdc, 46.6% of u.s. population was vaccinated on sunday. >>> alabama is at the bottom of the u.s. vaccination list. the cdc said the vaccination rate in alabama is not quite 34%. community groups are pushing improved vaccine message but it's a tough sell. natasha chen has more. >> take it from me. get the vaccine. >> reporter: the effort to get covid-19 vaccin

much of asia struggling with case numbers driven by that delta variant. have a look at this map. there's an awful lot of orange and red there. indonesia currently the center of southeast asia's outbreak. our anna coren with more on that and how other nations in the region are handling the latest covid. >> reporter: there are fewer customers these days as new cases of coronavirus in thailand reach record highs. but for those lucky enough to pick up a fare, it's no longer a routine ride. >> translator: we have passengers getting on and off our cars every day, and we don't know if they're at risk or not. we need to protect ourselves, and the passengers also need to protect themselves. both sides are just scared. >> reporter: those fears keeping more people at home. volunteers bring food to those isolated along bangkok's canals. the government says there is a shortage of vaccines along with the surge of infections. those supplies just one of the obstacles preventing people from getting the shots. >> translator: i can't go. i only stay like this because if i go for a vaccination, i'd

however the delta variant is driving up cases in the uk. let's bring in cyril vanier. the world health organization says it is a mistake to ease restrictions prematurely. what is prime minister boris johnson's calculation here given the questions raised regarding the delta variant and the current vaccinations rates? >> reporter: certainly there is a bit of cognitive dissonance for people who have been through the last months. the last time we heard of possibly 50,000 new infections a day, the country was on the cusp of shutting down almost totally for 2 1/2 months and that was just the beginning of this year. thousand b now boris johnson is saying that he will more than likely get rid of all remaining restrictions. so to your question, what is the philosophy behind this, well, the philosophy is that covid restrictions have always been the result of a cost benefit calculation. and now that the population is vaccinated to the tune of almost two thirds of adults being vaccinated, the cost pep fit ch benefit changes. listen to the health secretary. >> we can't live in a wo

but again, the delta variant has just been picked up in the last week. even though cases were coming down in the philippines, we may see them rise them. some in thailand and malaysia, coming back to singapore, you indicated this, we have seen a surge in case. a surge from the zero community cases we had a week ago. and that occurred in nighttime establishment, karaoke bars that have flipped to get dining there. and there is tight testing going on. the government is testing anyone related to those clusters even though it accepts this road map of the covid-19 pandemic. going to mean more vaccinations, more testing regularly now we all have a track and trace as it's called in other parts of the world are when it shows up that will be your passport getting into restaurants or gyms or whatever it might be. so we're beginning to accept that this is very much a new way of normal live. >> thank you so much, in singapore. >>> straight ahead on "cnn newsroom," covid-19 has found its way into the olympic village with tokyo 2020 just six days away. we'll go live to