The seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases continued its two-month downtrend, as it fell below the 70,000 mark for the first time in four months. The daily average was 68,356 on Thursday, down 25% from two weeks ago, and the lowest total since May 5, according to a New York Times tracker. Only four states have seen cases rise in the past two weeks, with South Carolina and New Hampshire both showing 14% increases, while Arizona paced the states seeing cases decline at 57%. The daily average for hospitalizations fell 10% from two weeks ago to 35,388, while COVID patients in intensive care units (ICUs) fell 9% to 4,233. The daily average for deaths fell to a two-month low 383 on Thursday, down 17% from two weeks ago. Meanwhile, a little more than two-third (67.6%) of Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and only a little more than one-third (34.3%) have received two booster shoots.
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