With the Delta variant fueling new cases, medical experts and elected officials are warning people they are taking a risk by skipping the vaccine.
The Delta variant is now the most dominant strain in the United States, fueling new cases in parts of the country where vaccination rates are low.
In California, new case rates remain low but the variant is here.
“In California, we had 5% cases in May, now more than 35%,” said UCSF Infectious Disease Doctor Peter Chin-Hong.
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He said that in the Bay Area where vaccination rates are high, most are protected. But with the summer travel season in full swing, people who are not vaccinated are taking a risk.
“The unvaccinated people are going to be at risk particularly as we have visitors during the summer in the Bay Area,” said Chin-Hong.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted Wednesday that the Delta variant is a real concern for the unvaccinated, encouraging people to get the shot.
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“If I'm somewhere where I feel cramped or are around a lot of people I'll leave or put a mask on,” said Mike O’Connell of San Francisco.
At Costco in San Francisco Wednesday, NBC Bay Area cameras found the majority of shoppers masking up.
“Still taking precautions because we don't know how dangerous the Delta variant is even though we are vaccinated,” said shopper Sandra Salcedo.
At the state Capitol, mask rules are back in effect for all staff. After nine confirmed COVID, cases, four involved fully vaccinated people.
Dr. Chin-Hong supports being cautious in what he calls a dynamic situation.
“We don't know where the Fourth of July is going to lead in terms of cases. Which we should see in one to two weeks. I think it's reasonable right now in a crowded indoor place where you're not sure where people are coming from, to be safe and wear a mask,” said Con-Hong.
