WASHINGTON – For the first time in nearly 3½ months, the United States yesterday recorded fewer than 1,000 daily Covid-19 deaths, said Johns Hopkins University.
In 24 hours, 749 people died of the coronavirus, far below the peak of 4,473 recorded on January 12.
The daily US death toll has not been below the 1,000 mark since November 29, when 822 people died in a 24-hour period.
It indicates that the slowdown in the outbreak is continuing in the US, where infection rates and deaths have fallen to similar levels as before Halloween, Thanksgiving and other end-of-year holidays that were marked by travel and larger gatherings that boosted the spread of the disease.
The slowdown is good news for President Joe Biden, whose colossal US$1.9 trillion (RM7.83 trillion) aid plan passed the Senate on Saturday, and will bolster his large-scale vaccination strategy.
The US vaccine campaign launched last December is now in full swing, with nearly 10% of the American population – about 31.5 million people – having received either the two shots necessary for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single shot in the case of the Johnson & Johnson jab.
Health authorities added to the cautious optimism yesterday, when they announced that vaccinated people can meet in small groups indoors without wearing a mask or the need for social distancing.
However, they must continue to respect these precautionary measures in the presence of unvaccinated individuals and in public spaces. – AFP, March 9, 2021
