If You Live Here, You're in Danger, COVID Expert Says

It may seem like the coronavirus is over in some parts of the country but it's not over—period. In states close to yours, the Delta variant is killing or hospitalizing people in record numbers, resulting in high seven-day or daily averages that worry experts, according to NBC News. Which states have been hit the worst in recent days? Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Set new high for seven-day case average 

"Hospitals in the commonwealth are filled up at rates not seen at any other point during the pandemic," reports WKU. "Several hospitals in Kentucky are reaching critical care levels." "This week we are being hit by a COVID surge like never before since the onset of the pandemic. We are setting records in terms of our volumes of patients being seen in our emergency room and in our urgent treatment centers," said Dr. Steve Toadvine, the chief executive officer at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana.

Set new high for seven-day case average 

"In January, Alaska had the highest per capita coronavirus vaccination rate in the nation. Now, hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, and the state's largest hospital is rationing care," reports ABC News. "Vaccine hesitancy and the delta variant have pushed the state's fragile and limited hospital system to the breaking point. Providence Alaska Medical Center, the state's largest hospital, released a letter to the public Tuesday saying that more than 30% of its patients have COVID-19 and the hospital is rationing treatment."

Set new high for seven-day case average 

"University of Vermont officials say the highly contagious Delta variant is likely driving Covid-19 case growth at a rate surpassing last year's," reports VTDigger. "The university has so far recorded 83 Covid cases during the first month of on-campus activity among a largely vaccinated student population, according to data published by the school. That's compared to 102 student cases for the entire Fall 2020 semester before vaccines were available, according to university spokesperson Enrique Corredera."

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Set new high for seven-day case average 

"West Virginia Governor Jim Justice warned the public can expect more people to die from COVID-19 if vaccination rates across the state don't improve drastically," reports Business Insider. "Seventy-four more people have died since Wednesday," Gov. Justice said on Friday. "And they'll keep dying. That's all there is to it." "We just are going to keep lining the body bags up, and we're going to line them up, and line them up," he continued.

Set record high for average daily deaths during the week

"Florida surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began, health officials reported Thursday, with more than one fourth of those succumbing this summer as the state battled a fierce surge in infections fueled by the delta variant," reports the AP. "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tallied 50,811 deaths after adding more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths provided Thursday by the state's health department. Those reported deaths occurred over various dates in recent weeks."

Set record high for average daily deaths during the week

"Idaho officials announced Thursday they're preparing to ration hospital care due to the Covid-19 surge, and it was the last thing next-door Washington state's top hospital advocate wanted to hear," reports CNN. "It's terrible. I don't know if people understand the gravity of the situation," Cassie Sauer, chief executive of the Washington State Hospital Association, told CNN Thursday evening. "This is not something that should be happening in America at this point."

Set record high for average daily deaths during the week

"Mississippi has surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.," reports WLBT. "State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said the numbers of new cases are still "far more than we'd like to see," and that more deaths will follow. Since the start of the pandemic, at least 9,165 people in Mississippi have died of the virus. That means roughly 1 of every 320 Mississippians have succumbed to the coronavirus."

Set record high for average daily deaths during the week 

"Just as tourists were starting to return to Guam, the island has reported a record number of new COVID cases, a surge that is filling up hospital beds and dashing hopes of an economic recovery despite a successful vaccination campaign," reports Matangi Tonga. "The average number of daily new cases has more than doubled to 165 in the past two weeks, according to a New York Times database. The tourism-dependent U.S. territory in the Western Pacific has vaccinated 70% of its total population with at least one shot." No matter where you live—get vaccinated ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don't travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.