Coronavirus Watch: CDC projects delta is dominant US variant

New York City, once the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., threw a ticker tape parade in lower Manhattan on Wednesday to honor the "hometown heroes" of the pandemic.

The celebration, however, comes as top U.S. health officials warn residents about the spread of COVID-19 variants, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates.

The CDC projects the highly transmissible delta variant, first identified in India, is now the dominant strain in the U.S.

It's Wednesday, and this Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news you need to know:

• Cases in in Tokyo have hit a two-month high, and the Japanese government is reportedly considering reinstating a state of emergency in the capital to continue for the duration of the Tokyo Olympics.
• A San Francisco Bay Area zoo is inoculating its big cats, bears and ferrets against the coronavirus as part of a national effort to protect animal species using an experimental vaccine.
• Summertime jobs for teens are on the rebound, according to the predictions of labor market experts: 31.5% of 16- to 19-year-olds will have jobs this summer.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 33.7 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 606,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 184.8 million cases and more than 3.99 million deaths. About 55% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 47% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck