The daily count of COVID-19 cases and the deadly virus’ associated death toll has hit a new low in the US amid a nationwide effort for Americans to vaccinate themselves from the respiratory illness, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on Thursday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky remarked during the US health agency’s Thursday briefing that the seven-day average of US COVID-19 cases has plummeted to less than 16,000 cases per day, effectively marking the lowest level of recorded cases since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
“Our seven-day average is about 15,600 cases per day. This represents a decrease of more than 30% from our prior seven-day average,” Walensky remarked during the briefing. “More importantly, it is a 94% decrease from the peak of COVID-19 cases we reported in January of this year.”
Walensky also noted that the agency had documented “a little over 9,300 new cases” on Wednesday alone, and that the seven-day average for hospitalization has dropped by roughly 83% since early January. Additionally, it was highlighted that the seven-day average for daily COVID-19-related deaths fell by 16% when compared against the previous week’s figures.
“This is the type of news I like to deliver, and certainly, these data are encouraging and uplifting as we battle this pandemic,” Walensky remarked during the event.
The CDC director also took the opportunity to urge teens and young adolescents to be vaccinated against the virus after “troubling data” showed that a “number” of young Americans had to be placed on a ventilator after contracting SARS-CoV-2, the deadly virus that causes COVID-19. The CDC is expected to release additional information on the matter on Friday.
The latest commentary from the CDC came on the heels of a recent initiative by the Biden administration meant to incentivize Americans to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19. US President Joe Biden declared on Wednesday that July would be a “month of action” that would see Americans be given everything, from free beer to child care and sports tickets, in order to give vaccination rates a boost.
The goal itself is part of Biden’s bid to have 70% of US adults receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. The CDC’s latest figures show that only 62.9% of those aged over 18 have been given at least one dose, as just 51.9% have been fully vaccinated in the US.