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WH COVID response team: 1 in 3 cases nationwide were in Fla., Texas over past week

Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said during a Monday briefing that 1 in 3 COVID cases nationwide were in Florida and Texas over the past week.

Video transcript

- We remain concerned about the continued rise in cases driven by the Delta variant. These cases are concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates. In fact, the seven states with the lowest vaccination rates represent just about 8 and 1/2% of the US population but account for more than 17% of cases. And one in three cases nationwide occurred in Florida and Texas this past week.

From the start, we've known that this virus is unpredictable. That's why we spent the last six months preparing for every scenario. As a result, we have the tools we need to manage this. Most importantly, the tool that is most important is the highly effective vaccines.

We have enough vaccines for every American who wants one. They're free, and they're easily accessible within five miles of 90% of where Americans live. And in just six months, we've already gotten 165 million Americans fully vaccinated, including 80% of seniors who are the most vulnerable.

But we have much more work to do to put this pandemic behind us. There are still about 90 million eligible Americans who are unvaccinated, and we need them to do their part. Roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.