[The Delta] a variant...is more than twice as transmissible as previous strains of the virus and so contagious that it behaves almost like a different virus.
The Biden administration initially thought vaccinated people couldn’t spread the virus, as had been the case with other variants. But delta proved that assumption wrong...
They thought more people in the United States would get the free and easily accessible shots that others across the globe are desperate to have — but hit a wall in early July with fewer people willing to be inoculated.
Despite pressure from outside experts and some within the administration, the White House also began the month reluctant to require that members of the military be vaccinated. And there was often hesitancy to engage in conversations about booster shots and the possibility of breakthrough cases...
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By the end of July...the virus exacted a massive toll...nearly 1.3 million new infections, 8,633 deaths and signs of a weakening economy as Americans pulled back on retail purchases in July as the variant flared.
...Biden has acknowledged that he has not yet used the full authority of his office to fight the pandemic — and he has shown little interest in ideas that have proved effective elsewhere, such as vaccine passports or broader mandates.
