After declining fast for two months, the rate of Covid infections in the United States has leveled off since mid-June due to localised spikes in under-vaccinated regions of the country.
It comes as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to gain traction. It now accounts for 35.6% of sequenced cases in the past two weeks, according to data from the covSpectrum tracker.
Authorities have said it is poised to soon become the country's dominant strain. The seven day average of new daily cases has been 3.5 per 100,000 people since June 16, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A clear divide has emerged across the country, with cases rising rapidly in communities that have low rates of vaccination. The city of