(Bloomberg) -- Hawaii has one of the country’s most comprehensive mask mandates and a highly effective vaccine campaign. On Thursday, Hawaii recorded 655 new cases, a record since the beginning of the pandemic. Test-positivity rates surged to the highest in a year at 6.9%, according to the state’s health department. The situation testifies to the delta variant’s strength and ability to penetrate walls of protection, restrictions and mandates. Nationally, the U.S. is reporting a seven-day case rate of about 190 per 100,000, the highest since February.
