U.S. is recording fewer than 30,000 daily new Covid cases for the first time in nearly a year

The U.S. is reporting an average of fewer than 30,000 new Covid cases per day for the first time in nearly a year.

The seven-day average of new infections is about 29,100 as of Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the first time the average has dipped below 30,000 since June 22, 2020.

Federal data shows that the country is reporting 1.8 million daily vaccinations on average over the past week, with 48% of the population having received one shot or more.

U.S. Covid cases

Following roughly 30,100 reported cases on Thursday, the nationwide average of daily new infections stands at 29,100. The country had reported fewer than 30,000 cases for five straight days through Wednesday, another milestone not seen since last summer.

The pace of daily infections is down 18% from one week ago, and a CNBC analysis of Hopkins data shows that daily case counts have declined by 5% or more in 40 states and the District of Columbia over the past week.

U.S. Covid deaths

The U.S. is seeing an average of 552 Covid deaths per day, according to Hopkins data, the lowest level since July.

More than 588,000 Covid deaths have been reported in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.

U.S. vaccine shots administered

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that the U.S. is reporting an average of 1.8 million shots per day over the past week.

The daily average is down 12% from a week ago, but has increased slightly in recent days. The CDC last week signed off on expanded usage of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, which could help boost the vaccination numbers.

U.S. share of the population vaccinated

About 48% of the U.S. population has received one shot of a vaccine or more, with 38% of the population fully vaccinated.

Of those aged 18 and older, 60.5% are at least partially vaccinated.