The numbers are unambiguous. And, unfortunately, the rising infection rate has led this week to the cancellation, for the second year, of two beloved fall festivals—Mathews Market Days and the Guinea Jubilee.

Not only are case numbers unambiguous, so too are the numbers showing what is driving the spread of Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus—the unvaccinated.

Just take a look at the Virginia Department of Health’s COVID webpage. This was the statement on the page on Tuesday: “Between Jan. 17 and Aug. 21, unvaccinated people developed COVID-19 at a rate 13.3 times higher than fully vaccinated people and 2.6 times higher than partially vaccinated.”

Yes, breakthrough cases are on the rise. The vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective. No vaccine is. But the increase in cases among the vaccinated is dwarfed by the spread of the virus among those who are not. Breakthrough cases resulting in hospitalization or ending in death are also quite rare.

All of us crave a return to normalcy...