The country takes a big step forward towards resuming normal life

In sports, the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta United are among the first teams in their leagues to return to 100% capacity for games starting in May, provided fans wear masks. The Kentucky Derby will have thousands of spectators on Saturday, although participants will also be required to wear masks, following a state requirement for outdoor events with more than 1,000 people.

“Today, 100 million Americans are fully vaccinated, nearly double the 55 million who were fully vaccinated at the end of March,” said Jeff Zients, the House’s Covid-19 response coordinator. Blanche, during a press briefing. “That’s 100 million, or nearly 40 percent of all adult Americans who are now fully vaccinated with protection against Covic-19 two weeks after receiving their last vaccine.”

The country has reached a real and positive turning point, according to Dr Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

“I think we can confidently say that the worst is behind us, except for an unforeseen and crazy variation that neither of us expected,” Jha said on Friday on “Good Morning America”. “We will not see the kind of suffering and death that we have experienced during the holidays. I think we are in a much better shape to move forward.”

“I believe the worst of the pandemic (here in the United States) is behind us,” he said. “The only thing that can change that? Variants that our vaccines elude. Another reason to help immunize the world.”

The race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible runs alongside a push to bring society back to a pre-coronavirus state of affairs.

The latest data offers hope as the seven-day average death rate from Covid-19 is at its lowest point of the year, according to a CNN analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. The average daily number of deaths in April was 684, down from the January average of 3,431 deaths per day. This is the lowest point since October.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 35% of the U.S. population had been infected with the virus. The agency estimates that the virus caused 114.6 million infections, 97.1 million symptomatic illnesses and 5.6 million hospitalizations from February 2020 to March 2021.

Health officials say progress in reducing the death rate can only be sustained with increased vaccination efforts. The CDC’s latest ensemble forecast estimates that up to 6,600 new deaths are reported each week through May 22, and citizens’ reluctance to vaccinate will call into question any further declines in those numbers.

“It’s a terrible thing to think that we would have vaccines that could save people’s lives, and not see them in people’s arms,” ​​Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said.

Mayors have high hopes

Cuomo’s announcement added that gyms and fitness centers in New York City will increase to 50% capacity as of May 15. Statewide, hair salons, barber shops and other personal care services can reach 75% as of May 7.

In New York City, the rate of Covid-19 positivity has declined steadily over the past few weeks, according to city statistics, aligning with a targeted reopening date of July 1 when restaurants, bars, hair salons, gymnasiums, stadiums, theaters, museums and museums other sites will return to 100% of their capacity.

New York’s subway system, which has operated on a truncated schedule for much of the pandemic to allow for adequate cleanup, will also be part of the city’s reopening, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday.

“It will be the New York summer,” said de Blasio.

De Blasio broadened his view on CNN on Friday, saying the “amazing progress” in reducing the level of Covid-19 “is directly correlated” to the number of vaccinations given.

New Orleans has said the city will keep a mask warrant in place for now. “We know it hasn’t been easy, but it has paid off and we’re almost there. Getting the vaccine will help us continue to reopen New Orleans to the world as the safest destination city possible.” , said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. .

Adapt to slowdowns in inoculation

Experts say to get to a point where transmission of the virus is stopped, known as herd immunity, between 70% and 85% of the population must be protected with vaccination or antibodies against natural infection.

Appointments for the first dose of the vaccine in Los Angeles County have fallen by 50%, Dr Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s public health department, said at a press conference Thursday.

Dodger Stadium to end vaccinations by the end of May as the city of Los Angeles adopts a vaccination strategy based on walk-in centers, mobile clinics and walk-in options, Mayor Eric said Garcetti in a press release Friday.

“We have the doses available and we are delighted to be able to do so,” he said. “It will really help us streamline our equity efforts.” The state hopes this effort will reignite a new wave of demand for vaccines among an entirely new population.

To give more flexibility to vaccination sites, Pfizer said on Thursday it would start offering smaller shipments of its Covid-19 vaccine at the end of May.