Delta variant dominates US COVID cases daily deaths surpass 1,000 as Biden summer unravels

By August 2021, the highly transmissible Delta variant accounts for 99% of U.S. COVID cases and reverses gains from the spring vaccination campaign. Daily deaths, which had fallen to under 200 in June, surpass 1,000 again. Biden's July 4th declaration of near-independence from COVID collapses as hospitals fill with unvaccinated patients. The Delta surge hits hardest in states with the lowest vaccination rates, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, where Republican governors have banned mask mandates. The CDC reverses its May guidance and recommends that vaccinated people in high-transmission areas resume mask-wearing indoors on July 27, triggering political backlash.