Confirmed Cases Increase Across All 50 US States... Mandatory Indoor Mask Wearing in LA

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] COVID-19 cases are increasing across all 50 states and Washington DC in the United States due to the spread of the India-originated variant virus, the 'Delta variant.'

On the 16th (local time), CNN reported that an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University showed that the seven-day average daily number of confirmed cases increased by more than 10% compared to a week ago in all 50 states and Washington DC. Among these, 38 states saw an increase rate exceeding 50%. This is the first time since early January this year, when the winter surge peaked, that confirmed cases have increased across all 50 states.

The seven-day average daily number of confirmed cases recently reached 26,448, a 67% increase from a week earlier. Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, stated that one out of every five new confirmed cases nationwide came from Florida.

In Arkansas, where the vaccination rate is 35.1%, below the national average of 48.3%, hospitals are reaching capacity with patients, and new confirmed cases are doubling every ten days, explained Cam Patterson, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department in Missouri, which has recently emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot, requested financial support from the state to increase medical personnel and secure clinics. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned on NBC that the situation could continue to worsen due to the rise in cases, slowing vaccination rates, and the spread of the Delta variant.

Los Angeles (LA) County, the most populous county in the U.S., decided to reinstate mandatory indoor mask-wearing regardless of vaccination status starting at 11:59 PM on Saturday, the 17th, as confirmed cases and hospitalizations surged.

California, where LA County is located, has seen nearly a threefold increase in new confirmed cases over the past month, reaching an average of 3,000 cases per day. In LA County alone, new confirmed cases have more than tripled over the past two weeks, exceeding 1,000 cases per day. Sacramento and Yolo counties in California have also begun recommending indoor mask-wearing.

In Rhode Island, all public and private universities have decided to mandate vaccination for students for the upcoming fall semester. This is the first state where all universities have taken such measures. The California State University system also announced plans to require all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated before the start of the fall semester. Those who do not comply will be prohibited from attending in-person classes or residing in dormitories.

On the other hand, there is a growing number of states where elementary, middle, high schools, and universities are prohibited from mandating vaccination or mask-wearing. In fact, Arizona, Arkansas, and Oklahoma have made it illegal to require mask-wearing in schools. This conflicts with CDC guidelines, which recommend that students, teachers, and staff who have not completed vaccination wear masks indoors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.