The United States has surpassed a major milestone in ending the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100 million people receiving at least one dose of vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
What you need to know
- More than 100 million Americans now receive at least one dose of COVID-19, according to CDC data
- As of Friday afternoon, 30.7% of the U.S. population had received at least one shot, while 17.5% had been fully vaccinated
- The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million shots had been fired in the past seven days, averaging 2.9 million doses per day.
- But the number of new cases of coronaviruses continues to rise, raising fears that the country could lead to a fourth wave
The number early Friday afternoon was 101.8 million, or 30.7% of the population. Nearly 58 million have been fully vaccinated – 17.5% of the population.
“It’s really inspiring for me to see a lot of Americans accept vaccinations,” he said. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said. “We know that the great vaccination process is the key to protecting the American people and to keeping us closer to our ordinary lives.”
Nearly three-quarters of Americans aged 65 or older received at least one shot, while 53.5% were fully vaccinated.
The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million shots had been fired in the past seven days, averaging 2.9 million doses per day, a new high.
“It’s an unprecedented pace,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients. “No other country vaccinates so many people so quickly.”
President Joe Biden has set a May 1 target date for states to be eligible for all adults. He announced earlier this week that the country is on track for 90% of adults to be eligible by April 19.
As countries accelerate more security measures and spread variants, the number of new cases of coronaviruses continues to rise, raising fears that the country could lead to a fourth wave.
According to CDC data, there were nearly 75,000 new infections on Thursday, the most recorded since Feb. 24. The seven-day average for new cases is 63,727, almost 11,000 compared to two weeks ago.
According to CDC figures, nine hundred and seven people died on Thursday from the virus, which left the U.S. death toll higher than 550,000.
In a speech Friday, Biden begged Americans not to treat the pandemic as if it were over.
‘I plead with you. “Do not give back the progress that we have all fought so hard to achieve,” he said. ‘We need to complete this work. We need every American to grasp and keep them waiting in this home. Wear your mask, keep a safe distance from each other, wash your hands, get vaccinated when it’s your turn. This is how we are going to fight the virus and reject the weight of the pandemic that is holding back our economy. ”