Americans divided in reaction to surge of COVID-19 variant cases

Video: Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 200 million on Aug. 4, 2021. The United States topped the world chart with over 35 million cases and more than 610,000 deaths. (Xinhua)

The most recent guidance from the CDC urging even fully-vaccinated Americans to mask up indoors in areas where coronavirus transmission is high still won't persuade nearly one-fourth of American adults to regularly wear a mask.

NEW YORK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic is making a fierce comeback to the United States with its Delta variant, Americans and the country's local and federal governments have reacted in palpable desynchronization.

Some treat it seriously by wearing masks and getting vaccinated as soon as they can, while some others behave much differently or even in an opposite direction, showcasing both sides of a coin whenever a major decision is to be made in this motley nation of democracy.

On Tuesday, the country reported 92,005 new COVID-19 cases, whose 14-day change was a 139-percent increase, and 371 related deaths, whose 14-day change was a 4-percent fall, according to the figures updated on The New York Time's website.

The Delta variant accounts for an estimated 93.4 percent of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States during the last two weeks of July, according to figures published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday.

Passengers with face masks are seen in a bus in New York City, the United States, Aug. 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

THOSE WHO ACT

Except for his recommendation that New York City residents, even if vaccinated, wear masks when indoors, Mayor Bill de Blasio is also initiating a "Key to NYC Pass," which is like the COVID-19 passport talked about a few months ago.

"It's a carrot-and-stick approach," as reported by Forbes, for people will be required to show that they are vaccinated if they want to go to restaurants, gyms and other places.

No vaccinations, no entrance. "If you want to participate in society fully, you've got to get vaccinated," de Blasio said. "If we're going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now. This is going to make clear, you want to enjoy everything great in this summer of New York City? Go get vaccinated."

More of human interest in positive reaction to the pandemic, former U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to significantly scale back a celebrity-studded 60th birthday bash planned for Saturday on Martha's Vineyard.

"The outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public guidelines and COVID-19 safeguards in place," Hannah Hankins, spokeswoman for the former president, said in a statement on Wednesday. Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the former president and Mrs. Obama "have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends."

Also on Wednesday, the most financially exhilarating counter-pandemic news is that Vanguard -- one of the world's largest asset managers -- is offering employees 1,000 U.S. dollars to get vaccinated. "The incentive shows how aggressively some companies are moving to encourage workers to get vaccinated as concerns about the Delta variant mount," said CNN.

All of Vanguard's approximately 16,500 U.S. employees are eligible and must show proof of vaccination by Oct. 1. "Vanguard recognizes vaccines are the best way to stop the spread of this virus and strongly encourages crew to be vaccinated," said Vanguard spokesperson Charles Kurtz in a statement. "As such, we are offering a vaccine incentive for crew who provide COVID-19 vaccination proof."

Encouraging decision also emerged in San Francisco, California, where J&J recipients can make a special request to get a "supplemental dose" of an mRNA vaccine, city health officials said in a statement, while declining to call the second shots "boosters."

Nationwide, facing mounting pressure from progressive Democratic lawmakers and a spike of COVID-19 cases, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday issued a new 60-day eviction moratorium to prevent millions of American renters from being forced to leave their homes.

The "temporary" moratorium, issued by the CDC, will expire on Oct. 3. Targeting areas with high or substantial COVID-19 transmission, it covers 80 percent of U.S. counties and 90 percent of the U.S. population.

A man wearing a mask rides an electric scooter near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, the United States, Aug. 4, 2021.(Xinhua/Liu Jie)

THE NON-ACTS

Florida has been in focus these days for Governor Ron DeSantis has turned a cold shoulder to the surging cases of coronavirus, saying that there wasn't any new data showing the Delta variant was more severe.

On Tuesday, he said that his state will not shut down again despite a record-breaking influx of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, which has made the Sunshine State the nation's new virus epicenter.

When asked about the COVID-19 policies of DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Biden said that "I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents and it's clear to me and to most of the medical experts that the decisions being made, like not allowing mask mandates in school, are bad health policy."

The most recent guidance from the CDC urging even fully-vaccinated Americans to mask up indoors in areas where coronavirus transmission is high still won't persuade nearly one-fourth of American adults to regularly wear a mask, new polling suggests, and "unvaccinated Americans are particularly unlikely to wear a face covering despite the delta variant's rapid spread," Forbes reported on Wednesday.

Another survey published on Wednesday has found that most unvaccinated American adults don't believe the COVID-19 vaccines are very effective and see the vaccines as a greater health risk than the virus itself.

The most worrisome thing for the United States in this unprecedented pandemic is that "nearly 18 months into the pandemic, there's no consensus on how to keep students and staff safe," said news portal Politico on Wednesday.

"School boards are at war with governors over masks. Superintendents are developing contingency plans on the fly. And schools that only just opened have had to shut down," it said, adding that the U.S. schools' opening days are almost there, but "the Delta variant, which few had heard of when classes ended in the spring, is upending reopening plans across the country, threatening President Joe Biden's promise of a more normal school year and sustained economic recovery."