Florida, Texas and Missouri accounted for 40 percent of new COVID-19 cases reported nationwide this week, Jeff Zients, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, said July 22.
"The data is clear: The case increases are concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates," Mr. Zients said during a news briefing, pointing to the three states.
Forty-eight percent of Florida's population was fully vaccinated as of July 22, along with 43 percent of Texas residents and 40 percent of Missouri's population, according to CDC data. For reference, Vermont is leading states in vaccinations at 67 percent fully vaccinated.
For the second consecutive week, one in five of all U.S. cases occurred in Florida, according to Mr. Zients.
The five states with the highest case rates — Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada — had a higher rate of people getting newly vaccinated compared to the national average for the second week in a row.
"This is a very positive trend," Mr. Zients said. "People in these states are feeling the impact of being unvaccinated and responding with action."