The average number of new Covid-19 cases reported remained high in the United States over the past week, even as the Easter holiday led to a drop in infections and deaths recorded daily.
Although new cases have declined from January’s highs, they have been on an upward trend in recent days. The seven-day average, which smooths out irregularities in data reports, was 64,628 on Saturday, while the 14-day average was 63,222, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, as since March 24, it indicates that cases are increasing. Half of the states are reporting higher averages than seven days.
The United States reported more than 34,000 new infections on Sunday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Recently reported cases tend to decrease at the beginning of the week, as fewer people are tested over the weekend and some states do not report data on Sundays and increase over the course of the week.
The number for Sunday, which was probably affected by the Easter holiday, compares with more than 62,000 cases reported on Saturday and more than 43,000 in the previous week.
Hospitalizations have also declined, with states last month reporting between 50,000 and about 40,000 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, according to the latest data published by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The number of deaths in the United States caused by Covid-19 dropped to 222 on Sunday from 676 the day before. The seven-day average stood at 838 on Saturday, compared with a 14-day average of 900. The United States now reports more than 555,000 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 30.7 million infections.
Vaccine distribution has increased, with the country administering an average of 3.1 million doses of vaccine last week, according to an analysis by the Journal of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 18% of the US population is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and 32% have received at least one dose, CDC data show.
Johnson & Johnson is taking over the manufacture of its Covid-19 vaccine at a factory by a contract manufacturer that manufactures the main ingredient after a production problem has ruined a batch. To give J&J full control, AstraZeneca’s vaccine production at the Emergent BioSolutions Inc. plant in Baltimore will be moved elsewhere.
Although Covid-19 cases have dropped in most states since January highs and more people are being vaccinated, life in most of the United States has not returned to normal, an analysis of pedestrian traffic data shows. Americans left less in January, February and early March compared to the same period in 2020, before the pandemic forced state restrictions.