The economic impact of the Covid-19 Delta variant already threatens demand for oil and could dampen consumption of U.S. natural gas, particularly exports to Asia, if new restrictions imposed to slow the virus’ spread in China drag deep into 2021.

vaccines

In the United States, overall case totals and hospitalizations remain lower than the highs reached last winter before vaccine campaigns were widespread. However, reported infections are on the rise in August across the country, and Americans hospitalized with severe cases of coronavirus are surging in states with below average inoculation rates.

Over the first two weeks of August, the average number of new U.S. hospitalizations increased nearly 60% from the start of the month, according to Johns Hopkins University analyses of state...