Topline
As more Americans receive coronavirus vaccines and the number of new confirmed cases fall, health authorities across the U.S. are shutting down public coronavirus testing sites because of falling demand, to focus on vaccinations, the latest sign that the pandemic is coming under control in the U.S.
Staff and volunteers distribute the Covid-19 vaccine to people as they remain in their vehicles at ... [+]
Key Facts
Oklahoma on Monday will close a mass testing location in Oklahoma City that at the height of the pandemic was testing more than 800 people daily, but that number fell to fewer than 50 tests per day as the coronavirus infection rate slowed.
One in three Oklahomans has been fully vaccinated, according to state data, and the state’s seven-day average for new coronavirus infections is 83, a steep drop from the beginning of the year, when new infections were averaging higher than 700 daily.
Florida, once one of the states most battered by the pandemic, will close all 27 of its state-run testing sites by Saturday, as the state shifts its resources to vaccination and preparation for the upcoming hurricane season.
In Florida, 38% of residents are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, and on Thursday the state marked its fifth straight day of fewer than 3,000 new cases.
More than 47% of the population is vaccinated in New Jersey, where officials last week closed the state’s first outdoor public testing site in Hoboken due to lower demand.
Local health departments have closed or announced their intent to shut testing sites in California, Nevada, Utah and Washington, D.C, though tests are still available at pharmacies, clinics and public health departments.
Key Background
The U.S. is undertaking one of the most ambitious vaccination campaigns in the country’s history, and coronavirus case data indicates the effort is paying off. New coronavirus infections began to slump in early February, coinciding with when many states ramped up vaccinations and expanded eligibility. Nearly half of Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 40% are fully vaccinated. Northeastern states like Vermont, Maine and Connecticut are leading the pack with roughly 60% of residents fully vaccinated, while less than 40% of people in southern states like Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi have been immunized.
Further Reading
50% Of U.S. Adults Are Now Fully Vaccinated. Here Are The Fastest — And Slowest — States. (Forbes)
