Five states set COVID-19 records

Five states in the U.S. set new records for the average number of daily COVID-19 cases over the weekend, as the delta variant continues to spread throughout the country, driving up the number of infections nationally.

Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon and Mississippi all shattered previous records for their seven-day averages of new cases per day as of Sunday, according to CNBC, which conducted an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida are seeing the most severe outbreaks when examined on a per capita basis, CNBC reported.

Louisiana reported an average of 126 cases per 100,000 individuals as of Sunday, which was more than triple the national average, according to the news channel. Mississippi recorded an average of 110 cases per 100,000 residents, and Florida saw a mean of 101 cases per 100,000 individuals.

Oregon reported 1,765 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, which lifted the state’s seven-day average to 1,652, according to CNBC.

In Hawaii, officials reported a seven-day average of 671 new cases on Sunday, a more than seven-fold increase from the 89 cases recorded per day a month ago.

The concerning outbreaks in these five states, along with the surge of COVID-19 cases nationwide, come as the delta variant extends its reach throughout the nation. The strain, which is now the dominant variant in the U.S., is more transmissible than other versions of the virus.

Health officials, however, have reported that the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among individuals who are not vaccinated.

Louisiana, Oregon and Hawaii are all advising their residents to wear masks while indoors.

The Mississippi Department of Health said it recommends wearing masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), however, has refused to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures despite the growing threat in his state.

The Sunshine State’s Friday seven-day average of 21,681 daily cases was higher than any other state, according to CNBC.

DeSantis issued an executive order in May that nixed all COVID-19 safety precautions throughout the state, and it permanently blocked local officials from implementing their own measures starting July 1.

The governor turned heads late last month when he signed a controversial executive order that made abiding by mask mandates in the state’s schools optional, in an effort to give parents the authority over whether their children should be required to wear face coverings while in educational settings.

The U.S. has reported more than 36.7 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).