CDC: Delta variant accounts for 83% of US cases

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Fauci, Walensky testify before Senate committee as Delta coronavirus variant spreads, some mask mandates return

NEW YORK – Health officials say the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to surge and accounts for an estimated 83% of U.S. COVID-19 cases.

That’s a dramatic increase from the week of July 3, when the variant accounted for about 50% of genetically sequenced coronavirus cases.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 20, 2021. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Image)

FAUCI, WALENSKY WEIGH IN STOPPING DELTA VARIANT SPREAD AMID CALLS TO BRING BACK MASKS

"The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants is to prevent the spread of disease, and vaccination is the most powerful tool we have," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday.

The Delta variant is a mutated coronavirus that spreads more easily than other versions. It was first detected in India but now has been identified around the world.