With the more contagious Delta variant spreading across the U.S., new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising around the country.

States with low vaccination rates are fueling the rise, with Florida and Texas emerging as COVID-19 hotspots. 
Last week the two states accounted for one-third of new cases nationwide, according to White House pandemic response coordinator Jeff Zients.

Florida reported 21,683 cases on Saturday, breaking the state's record for new cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began.

The governors of Florida and Texas have both rallied against mask mandates and approved bans on such mandates in their states. 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' ban on school districts issuing mask mandates includes a further provision to deny state funding to a district that defies the ban.  

Meanwhile, New York City is requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for people entering indoor spaces such as restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues. 

NYC is the first city to require proof of at least one vaccine shot to participate in these activities. 

"It's time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good and full and healthy life," said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio at a news conference on Tuesday.

Mayor de Blasio is also requiring city workers get vaccinated or get tested for COVID-19 weekly.

Several major companies are requiring their employees to get vaccinated as well.
Disney, Walmart, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Tyson Foods are among the growing list of companies issuing vaccine mandates for workers.

In regard to vaccinations, one city in India has had success with its COVID-19 vaccine campaign. 

Bhubaneswar, the largest city in the eastern state of Odisha, says it has fully vaccinated its entire eligible population. 
Fewer than 200 new cases and 10 deaths are now being reported a day, according to The New York Times. 

Wuhan, China, has launched a mass COVID-19 testing campaign, canceling basketball games and suspending flights and trains through the city, as the area sees a rise in new infections.

New cases are also on the rise in other cities and provinces across China.
Many of them are related to an outbreak of the Delta variant that officials trace to the airport in Nanjing, according to the Associated Press. 

Health officials say unvaccinated people are driving the surge in serious cases. 

In the U.S., more than 99.99% of those who are fully vaccinated have not had a breakthrough case leading to hospitalization or death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Amid the current virus surge, U.S. vaccination rates are increasing, though still well below the highs of daily doses delivered in April. 

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