COVID looming over Thanksgiving

Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious disease expert William Schaffner had hoped COVID-19 would be under control by Thanksgiving 2021.

• But "COVID, particularly this Delta variant, keeps throwing us curveballs," he tells Axios.

Driving the news: The rolling seven-day average of new infections in Tennessee is slowly climbing again, according to state data. The state logged an average of 1,301 cases Thursday, up from 973 on Nov. 5.

• Cases are up nationwide as well.
• Fewer than 50% of Tennessee residents are fully vaccinated.

What he's saying: The infection and vaccination numbers are "giving me an uneasy view, now, of the holidays and the month beyond," Schaffner says.

• As Tennessee continues "going back near normal in an environment that's under-vaccinated," conditions are right for a post-holiday surge in December and January.

The bottom line: Schaffner said vaccinations and booster shots remain the best weapon in the war against COVID.

• Schaffner advised people gathering with family to "travel with care" and be mindful of their loved ones' vaccination status.
• "When family members are unvaccinated, I'm straightforward: Stay away," Schaffner says. "Blow them a kiss, don't give them a hug."