U.S. cases on the rise, mostly among unvaccinated people - health officials

U.S. cases of COVID-19 are up around 11% over last week, almost entirely among people who have not yet been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

Around 93% of COVID-19 cases have occurred in counties with vaccination rates of less than 40%, said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky, adding that nearly all deaths nationwide are among unvaccinated people.

Cases of COVID-19 are surging in counties representing 9 million people, Walensky said. The White House plans to concentrate federal assistance for vaccinating against and treating COVID-19 in states including Missouri, Nevada, and Illinois, said Jeff Zients, who leads the White House's COVID-19 response team.