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Covid-19 cases in the US fall to their lowest point in a year

2021-05-22T08:49:39.390Z


Covid-19 vaccines have proven to be a great ally in the United States' battle against the virus. Spanish doctor works on a vaccine available to everyone 1:43 (CNN) - Covid-19 vaccines have proven to be a great ally in America's battle against the virus. "For the first time since the pandemic began, covid cases have decreased in all 50 states," Andy Slavitt, the White House's senior covid-19 adviser, said in a briefing on Tuesday. "We are winning the war against the virus and we need you to


Spanish doctor works on a vaccine available to everyone 1:43

(CNN) -

Covid-19 vaccines have proven to be a great ally in America's battle against the virus.

"For the first time since the pandemic began, covid cases have decreased in all 50 states," Andy Slavitt, the White House's senior covid-19 adviser, said in a briefing on Tuesday.

"We are winning the war against the virus and we need you to help us finish the job."

His comments come as state leaders and public health officials express optimism about the country's Covid-19 trends and where it could be by the summer.

In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan said Tuesday that the state's seven-day positivity rate had fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic began.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced three new deaths from covid-19, the state's lowest daily number in the pandemic.

But among the messages of hope, officials make an important reminder: it is not over yet.

In the past week, the US averaged about 31,100 new cases and more than 600 deaths from covid-19 a day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

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"Cases are declining, deaths are declining, hospitalizations are declining, vaccines are increasing," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, told CNN on Tuesday.

"If vaccines went up even faster, you'd see those other metrics, those covid metrics, they would go down even more."

"There are still many people who have not rolled up their sleeves and we need them to do so," he added.

"Vaccine in the refrigerator cannot prevent disease."

About 47.7% of the US population has received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Approximately 37.5% of the population is fully vaccinated.

  • About 60% of American adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, including more people of color

'We must try harder'

The pace of vaccinations has slowed dramatically in the past few weeks, and officials say it is crucial to keep getting more vaccines.

People living in rural areas are at higher risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, yet vaccination rates in rural areas lagged behind cities in April, and that could hamper the end of the pandemic, warned a new report from the CDC.

There are several reasons behind that slowdown in demand, including access challenges and continued hesitancy, experts say.

"We need to continue to ensure that vaccination coverage is consistent across the country," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during Tuesday's briefing at the White House.

"This will require that we meet people where they are, listen to their concerns and help them make informed decisions about vaccination."

Those efforts are making a difference, said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, senior advisor to the White House Covid-19 Response Team, during the briefing.

These have included allocating resources to the highest risk and worst affected communities, federally run vaccination sites, and the establishment of mobile vaccination clinics.

  • Expert efforts to reach out to those who don't believe in vaccines

“To make sure that we are really reaching all those who are not vaccinated, we will have to continue to address structural barriers to access.

We will have to focus even more on meeting people where they are.

And we will continue to provide people with the answers they need to get vaccinated, ”said Nunez-Smith.

"We know we have to try even harder."

In the same briefing, Slavitt called on younger Americans to get vaccinated, saying that doing so will not only protect their own lives but also those of those around them and help get the country back to normal sooner.

“In many ways, your generation has shown us how they make the world a better place.

And getting vaccinated is part of wearing the mantle of becoming the generation that changes things for the better, "he said.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made a similar appeal Tuesday during a visit to a pop-up vaccination clinic at a high school.

"We need all eligible students, and the parents and guardians of all eligible students, to understand that these vaccines are safe and will protect our youth from what can be a devastating disease with lifelong consequences," said Beshear.

New divisions regarding the use of masks

The optimistic data trends follow the CDC, which says that fully vaccinated Americans can, for the most part, ditch their masks.

But the sudden change in orientation left many Americans confused and some state and local leaders disagreeing about the best way forward while much of the country remains unvaccinated.

In Maryland, for example, the governor announced the end of a statewide mask mandate last week, but Baltimore City health officials said a local mandate would remain in effect until at least 65% of those adults in Baltimore receive at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Tuesday that prohibits state government entities such as cities, counties, school districts, public health authorities and government officials from requiring the use of masks.

But some local leaders disagreed.

"If you are a city of Houston employee or enter a city facility and have not been fully vaccinated, you must wear your mask," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"We are not enforcing it, but I strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family and their co-workers."

Turner called the governor's decree a "clear overreach" and added that Abbott's power "is not absolute."

  • More places in the US lift mask mandates, but some warn that the honor system is not working

Some experts have warned that lifting the mask-wearing mandates now could lead to some unvaccinated Americans also removing their masks and leaving the country relying on a kind of honor system about who is wearing a mask.

"The problem and the issue is that we have no way of knowing who is vaccinated and who is not," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on "Good Morning America" ​​on Tuesday.

"And I think that's where the confusion arises."

That's why Fauci said it was "perfectly reasonable and understandable" for some business owners to keep mask-wearing mandates in place.

CNN's Jen Christensen, Naomi Thomas, Ashley Killough, Raja Razek, Christina Walker, and Stella Chan contributed to this report.

Covid-19

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-05-22

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