New U.S. covid infections fall to their lowest level in 11 months

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New coronavirus infections in the U.S. have fallen to their lowest level in 11 months, a sign that the country is on track to regain a sense of normalcy in the summer.

States reported 24,080 new infections on May 9, according to Monday’s data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lowest since June. The United States has averaged 38,678 new infections a day over the past week, the lowest since mid-September and an 85% drop from the maximum rate in early January, about 250,000 a day.

“We are about to flee Covid to the United States thanks to vaccination by Americans,” Andy Slavitt, a senior coronavirus adviser at the White House, released Monday.

The sharp decline in new infections has followed a rapid increase in vaccinations, as has happened in other countries. mass inoculation programs as Israel and the United Kingdom.

More than 152 million Americans have now received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, according to CDC data, and 34.8% of the total population has been completely vaccinated.

As a result, a growing list of governors has announced steps to reopen their economies in the coming weeks and months that include removing restrictions on businesses, most activities, and in some cases mandates of masks.

The speed with which states have managed to control their latest outbreaks has varied. Michigan, New York and New Jersey have taken longer than others like California, which surpassed one shortage of hospital resources and now has the second lowest per capita rate of new cases among U.S. states, after Alabama.

But while coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are declining, so is the vaccination rate. The United States has reported an average of 2.1 million new doses administered over the past seven days, below the maximum rate of 3.4 million in mid-April.

Line chart showing cumulative doses of vaccination administered per 100 residents in the US, UK and Israel

Some state and city leaders now offer incentives such as beer, money and tickets to attractions in an effort to encourage hesitant residents to get vaccinated, joining numerous private entrepreneurs and businesses. offering incentives to vaccinated workers and customers.

According to the CDC, Connecticut is better off coming out with 45% of its population fully vaccinated, while Mississippi is left with only 25.1% of its residents who have completed their dosing regimens.

Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, warned last month that there were “disturbing gaps” in vaccination rates across the country and that “now the lightest coverage areas could be the ones where the virus hits.”

Although the pace of deployment has slowed, vaccines remain crucial in helping the U.S. prevent another wave of harmful infections, especially as more infectious varieties circulate.

Many public health officials considered the Memorial Day holiday, which falls on the last Monday in May and is often marked by social gatherings, to be the launching pad for a wave of coronavirus infections. severely affect many Sunbelt states during the summer.

Additional reports from Matthew Rocco in New York

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