Covid cases are more than doubling every 14 days in America as the highly infectious and transmissible Delta variant begins to spread uncontrollably in almost every state.

Exactly a month ago the US was recording an average of 12,434 new cases a day per week, helped by The White House’s largely successful vaccine rollout and continued mask-wearing by many Americans.

That figure, however, as of August 3, has shot up to an average of 92,000 cases a day with the sharpest increase in case rates coming from states with the lowest vaccination rates.

With an increase in cases comes an increase in hospitalizations and across the US an average of 47,300 people are in hospital with Covid – an 80% rise on two weeks ago.

While president Joe Biden celebrated hitting the landmark of having 70% of adult Americans partially vaccinated on Monday – almost a month later than the target he set – every single state has struggled to encourage enough people to come forward for their jabs.

No state has managed to fully-vaccinate more than 68% of its citizens and some states, largely Republican ones like Louisiana and Alabama, have only vaccinated around 35% of its residents.

That’s meant that the Delta variant – which arrived in the US several weeks ago from overseas – has been allowed to spread among un-vaccinated Americans to trigger a third wave that looks set to be worse than the first wave in summer 2020.

Which states have the most new Covid cases?

Across the US cases are rising by 139% every 14 days and it’s in southern states where the largest number of new cases can be found with Florida, California and Texas accounting for almost half of all new cases.

In Florida, on August 3, 15,818 new cases were reported which is an increase of around 125% on two weeks ago. Hospitalizations in the state are steeply rising, too, with a daily average of 9,900 patients in hospital with coronavirus. That’s an increase of 121% on 14 days ago.

The actual number of people in hospital with Covid in Florida is much higher than the weekly average – and as of Saturday stood at around 11,000 patients which is the most since the pandemic began.

The sunshine state has only managed to vaccinate around 49% of its eligible population.

California, meanwhile, logged 9,982 new cases on Tuesday, an increase of 113%, while the rate of hospitalizations rose to 84% as an average of 4,226 patients are in hospital. Around 53% of the state’s residents have had both of their Covid jabs.

In Texas, where 44% of people are fully vaccinated, cases are up 212% on two weeks ago as it recorded 9,661 new cases on Tuesday. Hospitalizations are also up, by 85%, with an average of 6,000 Covid patients admitted for treatment.

Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina, where 37%, 39% and 44% of residents are fully vaccinated respectively, new cases of Covid are between 2,800 and 4,000 but are rising at an accelerated rate.

Where are Covid cases rising fastest?

While Wisconsin has only reported a daily average of 962 new cases in recent days, that figure represents a 331% rise over the last 14 days – meaning the case rate has tripled.

In South Carolina there has been a 291% rise in cases over the same period of time as the state has recorded an average of 2,063 new cases.

Rhode Island, meanwhile, has only recorded an average of 169 new cases but the rate of infection is up to 263%.

Vermont, Oregon, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Georgia, Hawaii, Texas, Maryland and North Dakota are all also seeing cases rising by more than 200% every two weeks.

There’s only a handful of states, in fact, that are seeing cases rise by less than double every fortnight and they include Idaho, Kansas, Wyoming and Arkansas. In these states cases are rising by between 96% and 79% every 14 days.

The sparsely populated states of Missouri, Utah and Nevada are experiencing the slowest growth, with 26%, 29% and 36% respectively.

What is being done to stop the spread?

Joe Biden and health officials in the US are continuing to urge all un-vaccinated Americans to come forward for their jabs as the White House struggles to overcome vaccine hesitancy among millions.

Life in America is largely back to normal with gyms, bars, restaurants and so on back open for business at full capacity and with that came the go-ahead from the CDC, for fully-vaccinated Americans to stop wearing masks if they want to.

But as cases rise and after many US cities scrapped their mask mandates, the CDC has reinstated its recommendation for vaccinated people in areas with substantial or high coronavirus transmission rates resume wearing masks in public indoor settings.

That’s led to similar u-turns in the likes of San Francisco, New York, Washington, Miami and Atlanta – among others – where officials are demanding its citizens to wear their masks to help stop the spread of the Delta variant.

On Tuesday Joe Biden urged Republican leaders in Florida and Texas – where Covid cases are soaring – to follow public health guidelines on the pandemic or ‘get out of the way’.

The stark warning comes after Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued an order blocking mask mandates in the state’s schools.

Texas governor Greg Abbott, meanwhile, issued an order last spring that would impose fines for mask mandates.

‘I say to these governors… if you’re not going to help, at least get out of the way’, said Biden.

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