average – COOPER GENERAL NEWS

A man inquires about a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a mobile testing van in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., June 2, 2021.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

The seven-day average of daily coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed the peak seen last summer when the nation didn’t have an authorized Covid-19 vaccine, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday, citing data published over the weekend.

U.S. Covid cases, based on a seven-day moving average, reached 72,790 on Friday, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s higher than the peak in average daily cases seen last summer, when the country was reporting about 68,700 new cases per day, according to the CDC.

The daily average in Covid cases has since dropped, however, falling to 68,326 new cases per day on Saturday and 63,250 new cases per day on Sunday, according to the agency.

While data published on the CDC website shows a decline in the seven-day average of daily case counts in the following days, a separate coronavirus dataset maintained by Johns Hopkins University does not show a decline. Rather it shows a continued increase in the seven-day average to nearly 80,000 new cases per day as of Sunday.

“While we desperately want to be done with this pandemic, Covid-19 is clearly not done with us and so, our battle must last a little longer,” Walensky said during a White House Covid briefing. “This is hard. This is heavy. But, we are in this together. And as we learn more about Covid, we continue to rely on proven ways to protect ourselves, our children and our loved ones.”

The CDC director’s comments come as Covid cases in the U.S. begin to spike once again, with the highly contagious delta variant fueling infections, particularly in regions of the nation with low vaccination rates.

One out of three Covid cases occurred in Florida and Texas over the past week, White House Covid czar Jeff Zients said Monday. About 17% of cases came from seven states with low vaccination rates, he added.

The seven-day average of hospital admissions is about 6,200 per day, an increase of about 41% from the previous seven-day period, according to Walensky. The seven-day average of daily deaths has also increased to 300 per day, an increase of more than 25%, she said, but still far below last summer’s peak of more than 1,100 daily deaths in early August 2020.

U.S. health officials are urging more Americans to get vaccinated against Covid as the shots have proven to be highly protective against the virus and its new variant, especially against severe disease, hospitalizations and death.

Earlier Monday, updated CDC data showed 70% of U.S. adults have had at least one shot of a Covid vaccine.

The milestone is about a month behind President Joe Biden’s original Fourth of July goal as health officials have struggled to persuade some Americans to get the shots.

In an attempt to boost the number of shots administered, some state and local officials have either offered incentives to getting vaccinated or enforced mandates.

While a very small portion of vaccinated people can experience so-called breakthrough infections, Walensky emphasized Monday that the vast majority of spread in the country is among the unvaccinated.

“If you are not vaccinated— please, protect yourself and get vaccinated,” she said.

Larry Wiggins receives Moderna Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine from Anya Harris at the Red Hook Neighborhood Elderly Center in the Red Hood neighborhood of Brooklyn on February 22, 2021 in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

The US reported another daily record of newly administered Covid vaccine doses on Saturday, bringing the weekly average of new vaccinations per day to over 3 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health department reported Saturday that 4.1 million new doses were administered, the highest daily mark since the Food and Drug Administration approved emergency vaccines late last year.

Around 104.2 million US citizens, or 31% of the population, have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the CDC, while 59.9 million people, or 18% of the population, are fully vaccinated. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses for full immunity protection. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, which received limited approval in late February, is a single-shot regimen.

According to CDC data, three-quarters of US citizens age 65 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine that provides crucial protection against the disease for a vulnerable group of Americans. As of March 31, nearly 81% of the country’s Covid deaths were among people 65 and over.

The increase in daily vaccine doses is due to the increasing supply available and eligibility expanding across the country. In states like Texas, Kansas, and Ohio, everyone 16 and over can now get the vaccine.

Saturday’s vaccine milestone hits a somewhat mixed picture for coronavirus cases and deaths over the past week. According to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data, the 7-day average of new daily infections in the country is 64,617, up 6% from a week ago. Cases are on the rise in 26 states and Washington DC, according to CNBC’s analysis.

However, the weekly average of US deaths per day is down 12% to 847.

President Joe Biden has urged the country to remain vigilant about the spread of coronavirus, despite significant advances in the introduction of the vaccine. “Too many Americans pretend this fight is over,” said Biden on Friday. “It is not.”

Also on Friday, the CDC announced that people fully vaccinated against Covid can travel at “low risk for themselves” while continuing to emphasize the need to wear a mask and maintain physical distance.

“We continue to encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as it is their turn so we can begin to safely return to our daily lives,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement accompanying the change in guidelines. “Vaccines can help us get back to the things we love about life. That’s why we encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as they have the opportunity.”