CDC: COVID-19 daily deaths below 300, lowest point since March 2020
During the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the seven-day daily average death rate due to the coronavirus was 286. Walensky said that was the first time the daily death rate was below 300 since March 27, 2020. Walensky credited vaccines with decline in COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and cases, and urged all eligible Americans to get vaccinated.
Video transcript
ROCHELLE WALENSKY: Let's begin with an overview of the data. Yesterday, CDC reported 12,322 new cases of COVID-19. Our seven-day average is 12,190 cases per day. This represents a decrease of about 16% from the prior seven-day average and is the lowest seven-day average since March 27, 2020. To put this in context, on January 10, 2021, the seven-day average was 252,000 cases per day. We've seen a 95% decline in just the past five months.
The seven-day average of hospitalizations is about 2,000 per day, a decrease of about 10% from the prior seven-day period. And the seven-day average of daily deaths has also declined to 286 per day-- the first time that average daily deaths have been below 300 since March 27, 2020.
These numbers make it clear-- getting vaccinated gets us back to normal. It's the best way we have to defeat this virus and to get everyone back to gathering together safely at weddings, sports events, and travel. Everyone in the United States ages 12 and older is eligible to get vaccinated. It's never been easier or more convenient. Vaccines are free and available at a location near you. Remember visit vaccinefinder.gov to find a site near you.
