The seven-day average of coronavirus-related deaths jumped above 2,000 Sunday for the first time since March 1, according to a New York Times tracker.
Numbers continue to surge — even with readily available vaccines — as the highly contagious delta variant of the virus fuels spikes nationwide, accounting for 99% of new cases, New York Magazine reported.
So far, the United States had recorded roughly 42 million coronavirus cases and 674,000 related deaths since the outset of the pandemic last year — both tops globally — according to Johns Hopkins University data.
As of Monday, just 55% of the total U.S. population, or about 181 million people, has been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — ranking 43rd worldwide, New York Magazine reported.