Covid Flares Across US: If Your Local Vaccine Rate Is Low, It’s Worse

NPR: Virus Cases Start To Rise Again, Especially Where Vaccination Rates Lag
As the weather warmed up this year, coronavirus case numbers plummeted, and life in the U.S. started to feel almost normal. But in recent weeks, that progress has stalled. The vaccination campaign has slowed, and the delta variant is spreading rapidly. And new infections, which had started to plateau about a month ago, are going up slightly nationally. New, localized hot spots are emerging, especially in stretches of the South, the Midwest and the West. And, according to an analysis NPR conducted with Johns Hopkins University, those surges are likely driven by pockets of dangerously low vaccination rates. (Stein, Wroth and Fast, 7/9)

CNN: 'Surprising Amount Of Deaths' Will Soon Occur In These US Regions From Increased Covid-19 Cases, Expert Says 
As the Delta variant rapidly spreads, US hotspots have seen climbing cases -- and an expert warns a "surprising amount" of Covid-19 deaths could soon follow. The US is averaging about 19,455 new cases over the last seven days, a 47% increase from the week prior, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And a third of those, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner said, come from five hotspots: Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Nevada. (Holcombe, 7/12)

NPR: How We'll Know When The COVID-19 Crisis Is Over
In the U.S., we're now averaging 154 deaths a day from COVID-19 — a tiny fraction compared to the pandemic's peak -- and there are still some safety measures and restrictions in place. Late pandemic American life hasn't quite returned to the status quo, but it feels much closer to normal than it did six months ago. But while we may long for authorities to give an all-clear and say the pandemic is history, the crisis isn't over, in the U.S. or abroad. The question of when the crisis will actually be over is a layered one — with different answers from a local, national and global perspective. (Wamsley, 7/10)

Stat: The Covid-19 Decline Preceded Vaccines. But We Need Jabs To Finish The Job
As coronavirus infections decline in the U.S., it seems appropriate to celebrate the triumph of vaccines over viruses. But how much of the credit do vaccines deserve? Less than you might expect. Don’t get me wrong: I believe in vaccines. I got vaccinated was soon as I was eligible and am 100% behind the goal of getting everyone on the planet vaccinated. Yet there are other factors also at work in quelling a pandemic. (Kaplan, 7/12)

On regional hot spots —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: ‘Do Not Assume It Is Over’: COVID-19 Rising Again In Missouri’s Metro Areas, Health Officials Say 
Less than a month after the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force ceased holding regular briefings, a rebound in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has prompted the group to resume its weekly updates. The St. Louis region, which had maintained relatively stable case rates through much of the spring, has seen jumps in recent weeks. Health officials say the highly transmissible delta variant of the virus has a foothold, and more testing and vaccinations are needed to stop its spread. “The best time to get vaccinated was really yesterday or weeks ago. But a good time is today,” said Dr. Alex Garza, SSM Health chief community health officer and head of the task force over the past year. (Merrilees, 7/9)

The Tennessean: Southern Baptist Convention Sparks Small COVID-19 Cluster In Nashville
A small but worrisome coronavirus cluster has been linked to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Nashville, the first large-scale conference held in the city after it lifted restrictions on gatherings, according to the Metro Public Health Department. About eight to 10 infections have been detected among attendees since the event in mid-June, which is enough to be classified as an COVID-19 cluster, said Metro Health epidemiologist Leslie Waller. (Kelman and Meyer, 7/9)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: As Variants Spread, North County Church Created Its Own COVID Vaccine Gift Card Program 
The Rev. Dr. Ernest Shields Sr. looked around his community and knew something more needed to be done to get people vaccinated against COVID-19. Shields, pastor of Mount Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, a predominantly Black church in Hanley Hills where he’s served for more than 45 years, gathered funds from his congregation this month to create their own vaccine incentive program. The first 100 congregants and members of the community to sign up would each get a $25 gift card. About 23 took the church up on the offer for their first dose and were able to return Sunday to get their second shot after services. The doses were administered through the St. Louis County Health Department’s neighborhood vaccination event program. (Heffernan, 7/11)

CNN: In Arkansas, Covid-19 Cases Surge As State Combats Vaccine Skepticism 
In Arkansas, the fight against both the deadly Covid-19 Delta variant and vaccine hesitancy starts one person at a time, meeting them where they are. Sometimes, that's at church. At St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Little Rock's Southwest side, Oscar Martinez was seizing his chance at a pop-up vaccine clinic in a gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, sponsored by the University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Mexican Consulate -- a direct attempt to reach out to the area's Latino population. (Jorgensen and Sandoval, 7/11)

AP: Oklahoma Health Officials Urge Vaccinations Amid COVID Spike
Oklahoma health officials on Friday urged more residents to get vaccinated amid an alarming spike in new cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19, particularly in the northeastern part of the state. Oklahoma is seeing an uptick in cases with the emergence of the new delta variant, particularly in rural areas where there are lower rates of vaccinations, said Oklahoma Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye. He said those numbers will likely continue to increase following the Fourth of July holiday. (Murphy, 7/9)