The delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in the United States. However, this does not apply equally to all states. Experts draw a direct link between a low vaccination rate and many new infections. US President Joe Biden has now also taken up this connection – and attacked some Republican governors for their corona policy.
“If you’re not helping, at least avoid people who are trying to do the right thing,” demanded Biden. He named two US states as negative examples. “Only two states, Florida and Texas, are responsible for a third of all new Covid-19 cases across the country.” In some states, for example, the mask requirement in schools does not apply, in Texas universities could even pay a fine if teachers ask unvaccinated students to wear a mask. The Republican governors Greg Abbott from Texas and Ron DeSantis from Florida recently spoke out particularly loudly against the requirement to wear a mask and even banned it.
“Use your power to save lives! We need leadership from everyone. And some governors are unwilling to do what is right to fight this pandemic,” said Biden.
“Preventable” disease
There are still around 90 million people who are eligible to vaccinate but have not yet received an injection, he warned. Vaccinated people would only very rarely become infected with corona, even less often would have to go to hospital if they were infected and almost never die from the consequences of the infection. In the states with low vaccination rates, the rate of infections is “ten to twenty times as high” as in the states with the highest vaccination rate, said Biden. The virus is spreading “like wildfire among the unvaccinated”. This is “heartbreaking” – especially because Covid-19 is now a “preventable” disease thanks to the vaccinations.
