More than 165.9 million Americans, or 50% of the population of all ages, are fully vaccinated, with 193.7 million having received at least one dose as of Friday.
The increase in vaccinations comes as the country sees a spike in cases due to the highly-contagious delta variant, which experts say accounts for about 80% of new cases. White House officials have said they believe the uptick in people headed to get inoculated is because the states hardest hit by the virus are seeing how the delta variant poses a greater risk.
“Clearly, Americans are seeing the impact of being unvaccinated and unprotected,” White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said during a briefing on Thursday. “And they responded by doing their part, rolling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated.”
The head of an expert group that advised Tokyo Olympic organizers on coronavirus prevention measures touted their efforts for controlling the spread of the virus during the Games.
With one day to go in these Olympics, organizers announced 22 new cases to bring the total to 404 from pre-Games and airport testing and screening testing since July 1.
“What Tokyo has just done in a historic way is prove that that advice is the right advice," Brian McCloskey, who led the advisory panel, said. "And by following basic public health measures and by layering on top of that the testing program, we have shown it is possible to keep the pandemic at bay.”
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