One in five Covid cases in US now from Florida: ‘This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated’

The director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said that Covid-19 is becoming a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” as the White House revealed one in five of all cases are occurring in Florida

During a White House coronavirus briefing on Friday, Doctor Rochelle Walensky said: “There is a clear message that is coming through. This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

She continued: “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk.”

“Communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well,” Dr Walensky stipulated. The doctor explained that counties with low vaccination rates have seen hiked transmission over the last month.

During the same briefing Jeff Zients, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator revealed that one in five of all cases is occurring in Florida alone.

“In fact, just four states accounted for more than 40 per cent of all cases in the past week,” Mr Zients said.

The increase in transmission comes amid the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, which Dr Walensky has previously warned may soon become the dominant strain in the US.

While infection rates have dropped to low levels across the US in recent weeks prompting a number of states to fully re-open their economies, the Delta variant is causing spikes in concentrated areas.

The CDC director said that the evidence of rising transmission made the need for Americans to get vaccinated all the more clear, urging those who have not to get their shots.

“While we are in a far better position than we were in January through April this increase [in transmission] is giving us all a reason to double down and get more people vaccinated,” Dr Walensky said.