Peter Wells in New York
The US continues to experience easing trends in cases and hospitalisations, with trends for both metrics dropping to their lowest levels in weeks.
States reported an additional 144,047 infections, according to Tuesday data from Covid Tracking Project, which marked the smallest daily increase in cases since December 25.
Over the past week, the US has averaged 197,930 cases a day. That is the first time the rate has been below 200,000 — and the lowest it has been — since figures reported on January 1 that were up to and including December 31. About a week ago, the US averaged a record 244,707 cases a day.
Infection rates appear to have eased in a majority of states. Just four states — Virginia, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Maine — had seven-day-average case rates that were higher on Tuesday compared with a week ago, according to a Financial Times analysis of CTP data.
That is the fewest number of states with rising infections since early March 2020.
A preschooler attends class behind a Plexiglas shield in Chicago
The trend in hospital admissions is similar, data show. North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, New York and Kansas are the only states with more patients in hospital than they had seven days ago. That is the fewest number of states with rising hospitalisations since March 23.
Overall, the number of people currently in US hospitals being treated for coronavirus fell to a 17-day low of 123,820 from 123,848 on Monday. That tally is down 6.5 per cent from a January 6 peak.
Authorities attributed a further 2,141 fatalities to coronavirus, up from a five-week low on Monday of 1,395. The US has averaged 2,997 deaths a day over the past week, the first time in 11 days the rate has been below 3,000.
Since the start of the pandemic, the US has confirmed 392,428 fatalities, according to CTP, although Johns Hopkins University, which uses a different methodology, on Tuesday revealed its tally had topped 400,000.
In addition to nascent signs of the pandemic easing in the US, the latest figures are probably lower than might be expected on a typical Tuesday due to delays in reporting over the public holiday weekend.