Delta Variant Explodes Covid Case Numbers Since June

The number of virus cases and hospitalizations across Nebraska has steadily increased in recent weeks as the highly contagious delta variant spreads, following the pattern of other states with relatively low vaccination rates. Nebraska said Wednesday that 2,575 new virus cases were reported in the past week, which is up from 1,976 the week before and more than 10 times higher than the 253 cases a week the state was reporting in late June when officials lifted the last of Nebraska’s remaining virus-related restrictions. Also Wednesday, state health officials said 17 people who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have died since January. Meanwhile, state officials are saying most of the COVID-19 related deaths in Nebraska involve people who were not fully vaccinated.  According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 98-percent of the people in Nebraska who have died from the coronavirus in 2021 were not fully vaccinated against the virus.  In addition, people who were not fully vaccinated also accounted for 97-percent of the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state.