The rate of new Covid cases in the U.S. fell to an average of 38,800 per day Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the first time daily case counts have been below 40,000 since September.
Federal data found the country is averaging 2.1 million daily reported vaccinations over the past week, down 37% from its peak level but showing signs of steadying in recent days.
U.S. Covid cases
The U.S. is reporting 38,800 daily new infections, based on a seven-day average of data compiled by Hopkins, down 22% from a week ago and 46% from the most recent high, when the country was seeing about 71,000 daily cases in mid-April.
Average daily cases are at their lowest level since Sept. 15.
Case counts have declined by 5% or more over the past week in 41 states and the District of Columbia.
Outbreaks continue to grow elsewhere in the world, particularly in India, which has reported an average of 387,000 new cases per day over the past week. A World Health Organization official said Monday it is reclassifying the highly contagious triple-mutant Covid variant that is spreading there as a “variant of concern,” indicating that it’s become a global health threat.
U.S. Covid deaths
The latest seven-day average of daily Covid deaths in the U.S. is 635, according to Hopkins data.
That figure is far below its winter peaks, when the country was recording more than 3,000 deaths per day, but the daily death toll has not declined as swiftly as case counts. Reported deaths tend to lag case data by weeks, as it takes time for those who get sick to become hospitalized and die, so the latest death numbers may still be reflecting infection levels from a time when nationwide case counts were higher.
U.S. vaccine shots administered
The U.S. is averaging 2.1 million reported vaccinations per day over the past week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The daily pace is down significantly from its high point of 3.4 million shots per day on April 13 but has shown signs of steadying in recent days, with the seven-day average bouncing between 1.9 million and 2.2 million for a week.
U.S. share of the population vaccinated
About 35% of the U.S. population are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, and 46% have received one shot or more.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s request to allow their vaccine to be given to kids ages 12 to 15 on an emergency use basis, allowing states to get middle school students vaccinated before the fall.
CNBC’s Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed reporting.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
