(Bloomberg) -- The seven-day average of Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. reached 645 on Friday, almost doubling in two weeks to reach the highest point since May, as the delta variant pushes deeper into the country.
Daily infections are up about 66% over the same period and are back at levels last seen in early February -- the average topping 128,000 as of Friday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.
Fatalities are much lower than in the previous surge over the New Year, with more than half the total population now fully vaccinated and almost 60% with at least one dose, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the past week, about a quarter of all fatalities were recorded in Florida. The state reported 1,071 deaths for the week ending Friday, the highest since February.
In Florida, the rate of new daily Covid-19 hospitalization among the 70-and-over age group is as high as it was in January -- a possible signal of more mortality ahead since seniors have been much more susceptible to severe outcomes. Hospital admissions of the elderly also have jumped in Louisiana and Mississippi.
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