A more transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in India, known as the Delta variant, now represents around 6% of infections in the U.S. In Britain, the rapidly spreading Delta variant is causing officials to weigh whether to fully reopen the country. White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said, however, two doses of the Pfizer vaccine or the AstraZeneca vaccine appear to be highly effective in combating it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new travel guidelines for over 120 countries, with separate advice for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Thirty-three countries, including Israel and Singapore, have been moved to the lowest risk level, while the CDC recommends against nonessential travel for unvaccinated people to countries including Mexico, Russia and Iran. Brazil and India are in the highest threat category, meaning travel should be avoided.