The United States on Friday overcame a significant step toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100 million people receiving at least one dose of vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What you need to know
- More than 100 million Americans now receive at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data
- By Friday afternoon, 30.7% of the U.S. population had received at least one stroke, while 17.5% had been completely vaccinated.
- The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million photos had been taken in the last seven days, averaging 2.9 million doses a day.
- But the number of new coronavirus cases continues to rise, fueling fears that the country could be heading for a fourth wave.
The number since the beginning of Friday afternoon amounted to 101.8 million, or 30.7% of the population. Almost 58 million are completely vaccinated – 17.5% of the population.
“It’s really inspiring for me to see a lot of Americans embracing vaccination,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “We know that the massive spread of vaccination is the key to protecting the American people and bringing us closer to our normal lives.”
Nearly three-quarters of Americans aged 65 and over have received at least one stroke, while 53.5% are fully vaccinated.
The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million photos had been taken in the last seven days, averaging 2.9 million doses a day, a new high.
“This is an unprecedented pace,” said Jeff Zients, the White House’s COVID-19 coordinator. “No other country has vaccinated so many people so quickly.”
President Joe Biden has set a deadline of May 1 for states to open vaccine eligibility to all adults. He announced earlier this week that the country is on track for 90% of adults to be eligible by April 19th.
Meanwhile, as states relax more security measures and more options spread, the number of new coronavirus cases continues to rise, fueling fears that the country could be heading for a fourth wave.
According to CDC data, there were almost 75,000 new infections on Thursday, the most recorded since February 24. The seven-day average for new cases is 63,727, up nearly 11,000 from two weeks ago.
Nine hundred and seven people died from the virus on Thursday, bringing the death toll to more than 550,000 in the United States, according to CDC numbers.
In a speech Friday, Biden begged Americans not to treat the pandemic as if it were over.
“I beg you. Don’t give back the progress we’ve all fought so hard to achieve, “he said. “It simply came to our notice then. We need every American to shut up and guard this stretch of home. Wear your mask, keep a safe distance from each other, wash your hands, get vaccinated when it’s your turn. That way we will defeat the virus, we will eliminate the weight of the pandemic that hinders our economy “.