White House says current vaccination rates show positive trend

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A surge in new coronavirus cases related to the Delta variant is prompting health experts to discuss mitigation strategies such as updated guidance on wearing masks, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday.

Psaki began her daily news briefing with a virus progress report, saying there has been a significant rise in COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated Americans but that people who have been vaccinated are avoiding major illness.

She said there has been no sign as of yet that the Delta variant responsible for many new infections is having an impact on the U.S. economy.

The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control says vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in many settings, but in recent weeks there has been more discussion about whether masks should be brought back.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alex Richardson)