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The highly contagious delta variant now accounts for more than 51% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to new estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, was first detected in India and is spreading quickly across the globe. And in parts of the U.S., the delta strain accounts for more than 80% of new infections, including some Midwestern states like Missouri, Kansas and Iowa. The delta variant is already causing 74.3% of infections in Western states, including Utah and Colorado, and 58.8% of infections in Southern states like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, according to CDC estimates. (Greenhalgh and Stein, 7/6)

The Delta variant, a more transmissible and possibly more dangerous strain of coronavirus, now makes up more than half of all new Covid-19 infections in the US, according to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Delta accounts for 51.7% of new infections in the US, according to the CDC. The B.1.1.7, or Alpha variant, which has dominated for months, now accounts for 28.7% of cases, the CDC said. (Holcombe, Yan and Waldrop, 7/7)

Louisville has confirmed five cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant, which is more contagious than other strains, local health leaders announced Tuesday. The actual number of Delta cases in the city is "likely much larger," though, since not all test samples are checked for the variant and because confirming results can take several weeks, according to Connie Mendel, the assistant director at the Louisville health department. "We do know that the variant spreads quickly and exponentially among people who are unvaccinated," she said. "So, if you're unvaccinated, you're at an increased risk of becoming severely ill, hospitalized and dying from this variant." (Ladd, 7/6)

A 73-year-old veteran in Pennsylvania, who is fully vaccinated, is currently hospitalized after being diagnosed with the COVID-19 Delta variant, a report said. Joe Pucci started to exhibit symptoms last month and, as his condition worsened, visited the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, according to WPXI. He told the station that he did not believe he would survive. His family said that he has some underlying health issues, like diabetes. His daughter said doctors indicated that Pucci would not be alive if not for early treatment. Pucci also credits being vaccinated. (DeMarche, 7/7)

The rise of the highly contagious Delta variant is causing increases in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in California and prompting concern about new spread of the illness in unvaccinated communities. While those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are believed to have high levels of protection against the variant, more people who have not been vaccinated are getting sick, data show. (Lin II and Money, 7/6)

At Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Wyoming, health workers didn’t need genomic sequencing to tell them the highly contagious Delta variant had arrived. Younger patients started coming in about two months ago with symptoms of Covid-19. Many progressed from mild illness to respiratory distress more quickly than patients treated earlier in the pandemic, said Sodienye Tetenta, a critical-care physician at the hospital. Nearly all were unvaccinated. “We could see that this was not the Covid of last year,” Dr. Tetenta said. (Wernau, 7/6)

The delta variant now accounts for half of the Covid-19 cases in many areas of the U.S., President Joe Biden said Tuesday, urging unvaccinated Americans to get the Covid-19 shots as the U.S. faces a dramatic rise in the "hypertransmissible" variant of the coronavirus. His plea included reassurances about the strength of the Covid-19 vaccines available in the U.S. (Edwards, 7/6)

Gloria Kennett is eager to take a long-awaited beach vacation, but she is keeping a watchful eye on new cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant. Ms. Kennett, a hotel executive in Chicago, is vaccinated, but her 9-month-old daughter isn’t yet eligible. For now they’re planning to go. But if they see a big surge in cases, they’ll hold off. They’re reassured that they can get a refund if they cancel. (Dizik, 7/5)