One day after the U.S. surpassed 600,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths, Georgia reached another milestone in its fight against the global pandemic, with the state reporting more than 900,000 confirmed cases.
On Wednesday, the state Department of Public Health also updated its death toll to 18,348.
On Tuesday, the U.S. reported more than 600,000 dead from COVID, and the nation continues to lead the world in number of overall cases. Data from Johns Hopkins University of Medicine show the U.S. at almost 33.5 million cases.
Also Tuesday, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention elevated the delta COVID-19 variant as a “variant of concern,” according to Fox News. However, researchers have determined that two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective against it.
The U.S. is increasingly unlikely to meet President Joe Biden’s target to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4. Nonetheless, the White House has announced plans to celebrate July 4 as part of “a summer of freedom” to celebrate a return to pre-pandemic life.
About 15.5 million unvaccinated adults need to receive at least one dose in the next four weeks for Biden to meet his goal. But the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. has dropped below 400,000 people per day — down from a high of nearly 2 million per day two months ago.
As cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.
“The last half, the last mile, the last quarter-mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.
One major concern is the highly contagious and potentially more severe delta variant of the coronavirus that originated in India. While health officials say the vaccines are effective against it, the fear is that it will lead to outbreaks in states with lower vaccination rates.
The delta variant has increased from 2.7% of all cases in May to 9.7% this month, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a call for governors Monday, according to details provided by the Washington governor’s office.
At the same time, states are convening focus groups to better understand who is declining to get vaccinated, why, and how to convince them that getting the shot is the right thing to do.
Average deaths and cases per day have plummeted 90% or more across the U.S. since the winter. But the picture is uneven.
Health experts cite two factors driving the surge there: the faster-spreading delta variant and a reluctance among residents to get vaccinated.
Among the states that don’t expect to hit the goal are Kansas and Idaho. In Idaho, some counties have adult vaccination rates under 30%, said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the state Department of Health and Welfare.
To increase vaccinations, several states are working to break up large shipments of vaccine into smaller lots, which can then be distributed to doctors’ offices. Health officials see primary care physicians as key to easing people’s concerns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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