By Adam Martin
The recently reported cases and deaths of Covid-19 in the US have increased from the previous day, but have remained below the peaks of January, as the number of hospitalized with the disease continued to decline.
There were 58,812 new cases reported in the US on Monday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University published. This was above the 51,204 reported for Sunday and slightly above the 56,044 reported the previous week. But the number was still well below January’s highs, which came close to 300,000.
The number of new cases reported each day is usually lower at the beginning of the week, as fewer people are tested at the weekend.
More than 1,500 people died in the United States on Monday, compared with a revised number of 1,097 the day before and slightly more than the 1,329 reported the previous week.
Deaths, a slow indicator, have not fallen as dramatically in relation to January highs as recently reported cases. The U.S. seven-day moving average of reported deaths each day, which helps smooth out irregularities in data reports, was 2,012 on Sunday, according to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal of Johns Hopkins data. The 14-day average was 1,938.
When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, as since Wednesday, it indicates that deaths are increasing. But the recent increase followed three consecutive weeks that saw the 14-day average higher than the seven-day average, indicating a decline in deaths from more than 4,000 highs on some of the deadliest days in January.
There were 46,738 people hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S. on Monday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, against 47,352 the day before and on the third consecutive day the number was below 50,000 after crossing that threshold on November 3.
An initial supply of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 single dose vaccine is due to arrive in states and vaccination locations as early as Tuesday, after authorization from the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend, the Biden government said.
The launch of nearly four million vaccines and about 20 million doses in total by the end of March is expected to reinforce the United States’ vaccination effort. As of Sunday, more than 49.7 million Americans had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, representing about 15% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 24.7 million people received their second chance.
Overall, more than 28.66 million cases have been reported in the United States and more than 514,000 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins. Worldwide, more than 114.4 million cases have been reported and more than 2.5 million people have died, the data show.