US’s daily COVID-19 cases fall below 30K for first time since last summer

The U.S.’s daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday fell below 30,000 for the first time since June.

There were 29,128 new reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. on Thursday, a Wall Street Journal analysis of Johns Hopkins University data showed. There were 669 deaths from the virus recorded that day.

Over the past two weeks, the national average has been 32,256 new cases per day.

Almost 40 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, which has helped contribute to a decrease in cases.

President Biden is aiming for 70 percent of Americans to have received the coronavirus vaccine by Independence Day.

States such as Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi are still struggling to control the pandemic, with their seven-day averages being higher than the national two-week average, according to the Journal.

Successful rollout of the vaccine and decreased cases have led to many coronavirus restrictions being lifted in the country.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance saying vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks, many companies and businesses lifted their mask mandates.

Many businesses are using the honor system, hoping unvaccinated people will continue to wear masks, and are not requiring proof of vaccinations.