By David Hall
Recently reported cases of coronavirus in the US have declined as President Biden has increased the timeline to increase vaccination.
The U.S. reported more than 61,000 new cases for Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, which was published early Wednesday. The data can be updated later. Not all states report data on new cases on a daily basis. Tuesday’s figure was lower than the revised score of 77,794 from Monday, when several states resumed after Easter weekend.
The seven-day average, which eliminates irregularities in data reporting, was 64,662 on Monday, while the 14-day average was 65,224, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data compiled by the Johns Hopkins university has been set up. When the seven-day average is lower than the 14-day average, it indicates that the cases are declining. Monday was the first time that has happened since March 23rd.
According to Johns Hopkins, the country reported 896 Covid-19 deaths for Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to more than 556,500.
Vaccination programs across the US have continued to make progress. About 19% of people in the U.S. are now fully vaccinated, with an average of 3 million doses administered daily over the past week, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Vaccination levels vary by state. In New Mexico, 26.3% of the population is fully vaccinated, while in Georgia, according to CDC data, it is 13.4%.
President Biden said on Tuesday that all U.S. adults should be eligible for vaccines by April 19, which should speed up the timeline he outlined last month, and he urged Americans to be patient and take precautions as implementation continues and new variants spread. Each state has said it will adhere to the timeline. Mr. Biden had earlier called on states and territories to take all adults into account for the shots by May 1st. On Tuesday, he stressed the call for the elderly, who are most vulnerable to serious illnesses, to be vaccinated. He also said that the US has surpassed 150 million shots since taking office.
California plans to reopen its economy on June 15, assuming there is enough vaccine for everyone 16 and older, and Covid-19 hospitalizations remain low. At a press conference Tuesday, Gavin Newsom said it was the opening of the vaccine quickly. To date, the state has administered more than 20 million doses. The Democrat said he expects the number to reach 30 million by the end of this month. Driven by vaccine vaccination, California now sees an average of five new cases per week per 100,000 residents, up from a peak of more than 100 in January.