As the Joe Biden administration forged ahead in its vaccine drive, many states began lifting restrictions, ditching mask mandates and allowing businesses to reopen.

In June, California- the US's most populous state- announced its "grand reopening", while New York lifted nearly all restrictions as its vaccination rate passed 70%.

Overall, cases have remained low. New infections are less than one-tenth of the average daily rete at the height of the pandemic in January, even as they have doubled in the last two weeks.

But there are growing concerns about the Delta variant that has been surging in some under-vaccinated states. As the vaccine rate slows, some states are recommending residents keep wearing masks because of worries over the more infections strain.

In New York City, cases have jumped by almost a third in a week, with some of the highest rises in neighborhoods with the lowest vaccine rates.

Deaths are creeping up, but not as sharply as cases. State officials say the overwhelming majority of people now hospitalized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated.

administration ｱﾄﾞﾐﾆｽﾄレｲｼｮﾝ　n)政府、当局、管理

forge　フｫｰｧｼﾞ　v)着実に前進する　forge ahead 着実にこなす

ditch　デｨｯﾁ n)みぞ･水路　v)みぞに落とす、捨てる

mandate　マﾝﾃﾞｲﾄ n)命令

overall　adv)全体として

one-tenth  10分の1

surge サ-ｧｼﾞ v)うねる･押し寄せる･高まる･殺到する

strain ｽﾄレｲﾝ n)引っ張る、緊張、重荷

creep up 　近づく･忍び寄る

overwhelm　ｵｰｳﾞｧｰウｪﾙﾑ　v)おおう、殺到する、圧倒する

overwhelming ｵｰｳﾞｧｰウｪﾙﾐﾝｸﾞ　adj)圧倒的な