Nine U.S. states have administered at least one coronavirus vaccine dose to 70 percent of their adult populations as officials attempt to ramp up the pace of shots.
Seven of the states – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont – are in the Northeast with just two states, Hawaii and New Mexico, in the west.
Additionally, twenty five states and Washington, DC, have fully vaccinated at least half of residents above age 18, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show.
This will help meet President Joe Biden‘s goal of 70 percent of Americans receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose to 70 percent of U.S. adults by July 4.
State leaders have noticed that incentive programs appear to be encouraging more people to get immunized, including removing coronavirus restrictions for vaccinated individuals, such as mask-wearing, and the chance to win huge prizes of money in lotteries.
It comes as the U.S. recorded 190 new coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend, which is the lowest single-day total in more than a year, a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins University data show.
New coronavirus cases in America also continue to fall, dropping to their lowest levels since March, making officials optimistic that vaccination campaigns are stemming both severe COVID-19 cases and the spread of the virus.
Nine U.S. states have administered at least one coronavirus vaccine dose to 70% of their adult population as of Monday
Seven of the states – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont – are in the Northeast and two states, Hawaii and New Mexico, are in the West
Despite average vaccination rates falling, it is expected that President Joe Biden will meet his goal of vaccinating at least 70% of all American adults by July 4
According to CDC data, 61.3 percent of all American adults have received at least an initial dose of the inoculation and 49.6 percent are fully vaccinated.
What’s more, 49.2 percent of the U.S. population, which includes children aged 12 and older, have been given at least one dose and 39.2 percent have completed their vaccine series.
To incentivize more residents to get vaccinated, some governors have announced lotteries with large cash prizes.
New York Gov Andrew Cuomo announced the program Vax & Scratch, in which residents who get vaccinated at certain locations across the state between May 24 and May 28 will be given a free state lottery ticket to win up to $5 million.
In Maryland, Gov Larry Hogan said that, beginning Tuesday, a vaccinated resident will be randomly selected to win a $40,000 prize every day until July 4, on which a final drawing will award a vaccinated person a grand prize of $400,000.
These programs appear to be working. In Ohio, where the governor recently announced a drawing every week for five weeks for vaccinated residents, during which one winner will receive a $1 million prize if they are an adult or a full-ride scholarship to any of Ohio’s state colleges and universities if they are a teen.
‘I think the reason they work is because the vast number of people who are not yet vaccinated are actually not opposed to getting vaccinated, they’re just not prioritizing it very high,’ White House senior Covid-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said during a press briefing on Friday.
‘So things that draw attention to it, like the lotteries…are – not surprisingly – very effective.’
On Sunday, the U.S. recorded 19,778 new coronavirus cases with a rolling average of 26,363, which are figures not seen since mid-June
A total of 190 coronavirus deaths were reported on Sunday, marking the 22nd day in a row that fatalities have been below 1,000
It comes as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to plummet across the United States to levels not seen in nearly a year.
On Sunday, the U.S. recorded 12,853 new infections, which are figures not seen March 24, in more than a year.
Additionally, the seven-day rolling average sits at 25,374, which is the lowest number seen since June 20, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.
The rate of new infections is currently 7.9 cases per 100,000, markedly lower from one month ago when cases averaged about 18 per 100,000 on April 23.
‘I think by June, we’re probably going to be at one infection per a hundred thousand people per day, which is a very low level,’ Dr Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday.
A total of 190 coronavirus deaths were also reported on Sunday, which is also the lowest single-day total recorded since March 24, more than one year.
It also marks the 22nd day in a row that fatalities have been below 1,000.
The seven-day rolling average currently sits at about 606 deaths per day, which makes it almost two months since the average has been a four-digit figure.
