US reports nearly 1 million vaccinations in past day, most since early July 

The United States on Friday reported almost a million new COVID-19 vaccinations from the previous day’s total, the biggest one-day tally for vaccinations since early July.

About 918,000 were administered on Friday, according to Cyrus Shapar, the White House’s COVID-19 data director. The number includes 576,000 people getting their first dose of the vaccine.

The increase signals a rise in the vaccination rate amid a push to get more people shots as the delta variant fuels a surge in cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average number of shots per day has jumped from about 500,000 in mid-July to about 700,000. But the latest figures are still well below the peak in April, when more than 3 million shots were being given each day.

White House touts number: “Strongest 24 hours of vaccinations since before July 4th,” tweeted White House chief of staff Ron Klain. “Vaccine requirements and incentives are starting to pay off — as well as the tragedy of seeing so much needless illness and loss due to Delta’s impact on the unvaccinated.”