WASHINGTON — The number of new COVID-19 cases being reported nationwide fell to the lowest levels seen in 11 months last week as health officials continue to urge Americans to get vaccinated.
On Friday, about 27,850 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing the seven-day average of new cases to 27,700 per day, officials said. The numbers were 19 percent lower than the average reported one week earlier, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
“The last time the seven-day average of cases per day was this low was June 18, 2020,” Walensky said Friday at a White House COVID-19 Response Team news conference.
Numbers from the CDC also showed the number of hospitalizations and deaths falling.
“As each week passes and as we continue to see progress, these data give me hope,” Walensky said.
In the last month, Walensky said officials have seen a steady decline in the number of COVID-19 cases reported nationwide, particularly in the counties with the highest risk of community transmission.
“When we look across the country, our areas of high or moderate burden … are shrinking,” she said. “And areas with low burden of disease … are markedly increasing.”
She credited the fall in cases to the rising number of Americans who are getting vaccinated.
“These data are telling us a story: As more and more people roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated, the number of cases and the level of community risk is decreasing,” she said.
Just under 50% of the total U.S. population has gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines available, according to numbers from the CDC. About 39% of the population -- 129 million people -- have so far been fully vaccinated.
As of Saturday night, about 33.1 million COVID-19 cases have been reported across the country, resulting in more than 589,000 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Globally, 166.4 million COVID-19 cases have been reported, resulting in 3.4 million deaths.
Cox Media Group
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