According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. is seeing less than 600 COVID-19 deaths a day for the first time in over a year.
The CDC reports that the seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths is at 567 a day as of Wednesday. The last time the rate of COVID-19 deaths was that low was on March 30, 2020 — the first days of coronavirus-related lockdowns.
COVID-19 deaths have been steadily declining since mid-January, when daily deaths peaked at more than 3,000 a day. As of Wednesday, 587,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins.
The decline in U.S. COVID-19 deaths mirrors the explosion of vaccinations across the country. Studies have shown that all the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. significantly reduce the chance of severe illness or death from the virus.
More than 60% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday. The CDC reports that about 38% of the U.S. is fully vaccinated.
President Joe Biden says he hopes his administration can vaccinate 70% of U.S. adults with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 4.
