Granite State Times

It has been 16 months since the U.S. spiraled into lockdown mode amid skyrocketing cases of COVID-19 and rising death rates, and now the nation seems to have little appetite for any additional government intervention while the Delta variant looms as a potential threat.

New England, which has a comparatively higher vaccination rate, is seeing fewer cases caused by the Delta variant than the national average, according to a report in the Boston Globe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that as of June 19, 26.1% of all nantional cases were caused by the variant.

It is the varying levels of vaccination rate that has Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warning of “two Americas.”

“When you have such a low level of vaccination superimposed upon a variant that has a high degree of efficiency of spread, what you are going to see among under-vaccinated regions -- be that states, cities or counties -- you’re going to see these individual types of blips,” Fauci told CNN. “It’s almost like it’s going to be two Americas.”

Dr. Tom Wold, chief medical officer at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, told Foster’s Daily Democrat that the Delta variant has the potential to increase the risk of hospitalization in people who are not vaccinated.  

"In early April, we became concerned about the appearance of the variants in the country," Wold told the Daily Democrat. "We suspected the variants were taking over the cases. The good story here is that overall, the vaccinations have outpaced the UK Alpha variant and seem to be working well with the Delta variant. The efficacy might be a little less, but it is worth getting the vaccine, to avoid the virus." 

Amid the increased concern over the Delta variant, people seem to be opposed to any additional government involvement in the battle against COVID-19. According to a study by the Trafalgar Group, when poll participants were asked what the government response should be to the new variant, 63% responded that the government should take no action.

There were stark differences along party lines, with 83.4% of Republicans supporting no additional government action, and 51% of Democrats taking that position, according to the survey. Whether this is a factor in deciding whether to get the vaccine is not answered in the survey, though Wold told the Daily Democrat he believes the country is now in a period of vaccine hesitancy. 

“People are seeing things open up, and there seems to be a lack of urgency to get vaccinated in people who are not,” he told the Daily Democrat. “They think this is not crucial anymore, but it is. If you are a person sitting on the fence, I would say now is the time to lean in and get the shot."

According to the Trafalgar Group survey, those against any additional government intervention cite the availability of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Just 24.7% back additional government action, with 17.7% supporting a return to mask mandates and social distancing.  

With a large number of people willing to rely on vaccines, their efficacy is a key issue. Dr. Artemio Mendoza, an infectious disease specialist at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, told the Daily Democrat, “The good news is that the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are showing effectiveness against the variant.”

Based in Atlanta, the Trafalgar Group is an opinion polling and survey company.  It conducted a nationwide survey form June 23 to 25 that included 1,101 respondents who were likely general election voters. The company said its margin of error is 2.95%, and its confidence rate 95%.