National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said he believes vaccine mandates could make a difference in slowing the rapid spread of COVID-19 Sunday.

       "We don't really need to be polarized about a virus that's killing people, we want to be doing everything we can to save lives," Collins told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.

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       Saturday marked the fourth consecutive day of more than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Friday, the U.S. recorded its highest daily COVID-19 case count in six months, with more than 120,000 new cases reported.

       The delta variant has fueled the latest uptick in cases, now accounting for at least 93% of cases in the nation. Due to the rapidly spreading variant, states and counties have reimplemented mitigation strategies like mask mandates.

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       Amid the recent surge, U.S. vaccination rates have also increased, particularly in hard-hit states. The current seven-day average of 481,000 new COVID-19 vaccinations a day is the highest rate recorded since June 18, according to the White House.

       This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.