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12.07am BST
Los Angeles County will require residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces starting Saturday.
“We’re not where we need to be for the millions at risk of infection here in Los Angeles County, and waiting to do something will be too late given what we’re seeing now,” health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said.
Rates of Covid-19 cases in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi are among the highest in the country, and their vaccination rates among the lowest. Covid also appears to be gaining ground in the American west.
Even so, overall numbers of new Covid-19 cases are low. New infections are less than one-10th the average daily rate at the height of the pandemic in January, even as they have doubled in the last two weeks.
Related: Delta variant gains ground in US as outbreaks highlight vaccine divide
Related: Los Angeles to require mask-wearing indoors again as Covid cases climb
11.45pm BST
Maya Yang reports:
US supreme court justice Stephen Breyer has said he has not yet decided when he will retire, amid growing pressure from liberal activists and Democratic lawmakers who want to see the Biden administration nominate a younger liberal justice to the bench.
