US recorded COVID-19 cases, deaths fall to lowest levels since March 2020

COVID-19 cases in the United States have fallen to around 15,000 per day, part of a sharp decline in new infections as more of the population gets vaccinated, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.

The seven-day average of about 15,600 cases per day is the lowest level of new recorded cases in the U.S. since March 2020.

“Our seven-day average is about 15,600 cases per day,” Walensky said during a White House press briefing. “This represents a decrease of more than 30 percent from our prior seven-day average and more importantly it is a 94 percent decrease from the peak of COVID-19 cases we reported in January of this year.”

“This is the type of news I like to deliver, and certainly these data are encouraging and uplifting as we battle this pandemic,” she added.

Important note: Comparisons to the first month of the pandemic can be tricky given that testing still lagged at that time.

Vaccines credited: The rapidly improving situation comes as more and more people get vaccinated. Almost 63 percent of U.S. adults now have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Still, the daily vaccination rate has been falling significantly, and the White House is pushing to boost the numbers to meet a goal of 70 percent of eligible residents having gotten at least one shot by July 4th.