The Biden administration is planning to announce on Thursday that it will send out response teams across the U.S. to help fight against the spread of the Indian 'Delta' variant, a new report claims.
A White House official told CNN that the teams will consist of workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Officials will go into communities where there are low vaccinations rates and a high presence of the variant, a potentially deadly combination.
Response teams will help increase coronavirus testing, providing supplies and treatments like monoclonal antibodies and try to boost vaccinations, the source told CNN.
It comes as the Delta variant continues to spread across the country and has now been detected in every state and Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the Delta variant has driven an explosion of coronavirus cases, causing infections to spike by about 68 percent in one week.
The Biden administration is reportedly planning to announce it will send response teams across the U.S. to increase testing, provides supplies such as antibody treatments and boost vaccination rates in a fight against the Delta variant. Pictured: photo, Bobbie Guillette receives a shot of the Pfizer vaccine in Springfield, Missouri, June 22
The Delta variant has now been detected in all 50 states, with South Dakota being the last state to report a case on Tuesday, and makes up 26.1% of infections across the country
Teams will consists of workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will go to U.S. communities with low vaccinations rates (above in dark blue) and a high presence of the Delta variant
Known as B.1.617.2, the Delta variant has been labeled as a 'double mutant' by India's Health Ministry because it carries two mutations: L452R and E484Q.
L452R is the same mutation seen with the California homegrown variant and E484Q is similar to the mutation seen in the Brazilian and South African variants.
Both of the mutations occur on key parts of the virus that allows it to enter and infect human cells.
As of Thursday, the variant makes up 26.1 percent of all new infections in the U.S., according to CDC data.
The Delta strain has now been detected in all 50 states with South Dakota being the last state to report a case, which was confirmed on Tuesday.
The variant (in dark orange) has caused an explosion of cases in the UK and health experts believe it is only a matter of time before the same occurs in the U.S. as the prevalence grows
While only one infection has been detected, officials believe they are many more undetected across the state.
'We are closely following this development and would like to reiterate, to all South Dakotans, the importance of getting tested and vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus,' Kim Malsam-Rysdon, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Health said on Tuesday.
'With easier access to the vaccine and testing, it has never been easier to protect yourself, your family, and our communities.
Dr Anthony Fauci recently warned that the U.S. may soon be divided into
