New Covid Cases, Deaths Nosedive to Levels Not Seen Since Last Summer

New Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and death rates in the U.S. have dropped to a level unseen since last summer, and health officials are crediting the vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases had dropped by more than 19 percent from the prior seven-day average. The decrease also marks the second day in a row where the seven-day average is less than 30,000 cases per day. The last time the seven-day average of cases per day was this low was June 18th, 2020.

The CDC also said the seven-day average of hospital admissions had a decrease of almost 15 percent from the previous seven-day period. And the seven-day average of daily deaths had also declined to a new low of 498 per day. “As each week passes and as we continue to see progress, these data give me hope,” Rochelle Walensky the director of the CDC said during a White House press briefing.

With more than 60 percent of people over 18 having received at least one shot, health officials, local governments and the Biden administration are looking to get even more people past vaccine hesitancy.

Several states are offering incentives, like million-dollar lotteries, to residents who get their shot. Additionally this week, the White House put forward an initiative partnering with dating apps like Tinder to encourage young people to get vaccinated.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci said this week that if Americans can reach Biden’s goal of 70 percent vaccinated by July 4th, the nation will have a good chance of avoiding a surge this coming fall.

“If we get to the president’s goal — which I believe we will attain — of getting 70 percent of people getting at least one dose, adults that is, by July 4, there will be enough protection in the community that I really don’t foresee there being the risk of a surge,” Fauci said.