Average daily COVID deaths jumped 131% in the last month, as health officials urge caution over Labor Day weekend

Burbank, California — Just a few months ago, it looked like the nation was slowly emerging from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. On July 4, the average number of daily cases was under 12,500. Two months later, that number jumped to more than 160,000 — an increase of more than 1,000%, according to data from The New York Times.

Even with high vaccination rates, such as in Los Angeles County, health officials are urging residents to not let down their guard this Labor Day weekend. The Delta variant is driving hospitalizations nationwide to levels not seen since January: There were 89,916 patients on September 2, and 89,657 patients on January 30. Daily deaths jumped 131% just over the last month, per CDC data.