New COVID-19 cases plummet to lowest levels since last June

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By STEPHEN GROVES

New coronavirus cases across the United States have tumbled to rates not seen in more than 11 months, sparking optimism that vaccination campaigns are stemming both severe COVID-19 cases and the spread of the virus.

As cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropped this week, pre-pandemic life in America has largely resumed. Hugs and unmasked crowds returned to the White House, a Mardi Gras-style parade marched through Alabama’s port city of Mobile, and even states that have stuck to pandemic-related restrictions readied to drop them. However, health experts also cautioned that not enough Americans have been vaccinated to completely extinguish the virus, leaving the potential for new variants that could extend the pandemic.

As the seven-day average for new cases dropped below 30,000 per day this week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out cases have not been this low since June 18, 2020. The average number of deaths over the last seven days also dropped to 552 — a rate not seen since July last year. It’s a dramatic drop since the pandemic hit a devastating crescendo in January.

“As each week passes and as we continue to see progress, these data give me hope,” Walensky said Friday at a news conference.



A person holds a mask while walking outside in Philadelphia, Friday, May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-6e9be8fced317be7c1b13d4ac37e5c92

[abqtommy]

1. This is indeed good news. Another way I can tell that things are definitely better is that

street traffic here is way up, looks like to pre-pandemic levels. People are out and about and much more confident.

[BigmanPigman]

2. A lot of us on DU predicted that this would

last about 1 1/2 years in early 2020, over a year ago. I think a lot of us expected more people would be wanting to get vaccinated at that time. I blame the GQP for politicizing a serious and deadly pandemic.

[HUAJIAO]

3. I'm curious how the comparisons would look if last year's "hot spots,"

like NYC and Seattle, were taken out of the mix?

[LudwigPastorius]

4. Thanks you, President Biden & Vice President Harris.

The other guy (and the traitor party) couldn't be bothered with half a million dead Americans.

[rurallib]

5. 30,000 is still a lot of cases per day

[speak easy]

8. 19,639 cases on Friday.

cf 265,175 on 1/6

[paleotn]

6. How much of this is Summer and how much is vaccinations

The Fall will tell.

[GulfCoast66]

7. By fall there will be even fewer cases. Way fewer. Absent a new resistant strain.

By then 60-70% of Americans will be fully protected. That alone will reduce the virus in society by, well 60-70 percent.

And many of those unprotected will be in less sparsely populations.

Unless you don’t think the vaccine works we are done with the days of thousands of Americans dying daily due to the virus. And almost all who still do will be those who refuse the vaccine.

Personally, my sympathy well has run dry.

[paleotn]

10. Projected 60 to 80% vaccinated in some states. Not in others.

The northeast, particularly here in New England, we're almost there. The west coast is getting there as is Colorado, New Mexico and a few midwestern states. Some regions are falling way, way behind and probably will never reach the magic percentage. The south and certain western states are still in the 30 to 40% range of receiving at least one dose. With their politics and infections at a natural low ebb this summer, I doubt they'll even come close to where they need to be. My prediction is it will be a regional disease this fall / winter. With the dismantling of nearly all precautions this summer, it will burn hot in much of red America. And maybe that will be what it takes to wake those wankers up. Or create a whole host of new conspiracy nuttery. I have no confidence in them doing the right thing. No confidence at all.

[GulfCoast66]

11. I share your lack of trust in the rubes.

They will claim Biden and China are targeting the red states. Unable to admit their denial of science is what’s killing them.

Florida may generally be red. But in areas like where I live vaccination rates are looking good. Red, rural areas, not so much.

[Beartracks]

9. The pandemic peaked in January?? Did something happen in January...

... that changed the course of the pandemic for the better?









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