New U.S. COVID cases fall sharply last week, deaths lowest since October

FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks walk down a street in the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

(Reuters) – New cases of COVID-19 in the United States fell 16% last week to about 409,000, the biggest percentage drop in weekly new cases since February, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.

Deaths from COVID-19 fell 4% to 4,972 in the week ended April 25, dropping below 5,000 for the first time since October.

Michigan still led the states in new cases per capita, though new infections fell 29% last week compared to the previous seven days. New cases also fell by over 20% in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the states with the next highest rates of infection based on population. (Graphic with state-by-state details) tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR

New infections are still rising on a weekly basis in 12 out of 50 states, down from 30 states last month. The states with the biggest percentage increases are Tennessee, Oregon and Arizona.

As of Sunday, 43% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 29% was fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Graphic on vaccinations) tmsnrt.rs/3tUM8ta

Nationally, the pace of vaccinations fell 14% from the previous week to an average of 2.7 million shots per day.

The average number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the country held steady at about 41,000, according to the Reuters analysis.

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