Story at a glance
- State health data shows more than 345,000 residents in the state are fully vaccinated while more than half a million have received at least their first shot of a two-dose shot.
- The good news out of Rhode Island comes as the CDC announced the seven-day average for new cases in the U.S. fell by 10 percent from a week prior.
- The U.S. reported nearly 63,000 new cases Friday.
The Rhode Island Department of Health on Friday reported no new COVID-19 related fatalities in the state on Friday as U.S. cases have fallen, signalling a “hopeful trend.”
The state’s death toll from the pandemic stood at 2,660 Friday with 259 new cases and a daily positive rate of 1.5 percent. Hospitalizations ticked up to 147, with 27 patients in intensive care.
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State health data also shows more than 345,000 residents in the state are fully vaccinated while more than half a million have received at least their first shot of a two-dose shot.
The good news out of Rhode Island comes as the CDC announced the seven-day average for new cases in the U.S. fell by 10 percent from a week prior. The U.S. reported more than 63,000 new cases Friday.
While the seven-day average of hospital admissions and deaths saw a slight increase from the week before, CDC Director Rochelle Walenksy said Friday the numbers overall were going in the right direction and noted that 66 percent of the U.S. population age 65 and older has been fully vaccinated.
Walensky, however, warned there were “unsettling gaps” in vaccination rates in several parts of the country that could be the site of future outbreaks.
“Some areas are doing very well, with greater than 65 percent coverage for those over 65…Many areas have less coverage, less than 47 percent,” she said.
“Because this virus is an opportunist, we anticipate that the areas of lightest vaccine coverage now might be where the virus strikes next,” Walensky said.
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