US COVID-19 death toll reaches 700,000

The United States surpassed 700,000 COVID-related deaths on Friday. This is according to Reuters, which tracks the daily statistics. The US currently has 2,000 COVID-related deaths per day and leads the world in cases and deaths.

According to Reuters, The US accounts for 19 percent of all cases and 14 percent of all deaths. Globally, almost five million people have died as a result of the virus. Reuters states, "The highly transmissible Delta variant has driven a surge in COVID-19 cases that peaked around mid-September before falling to the current level of about 117,625 cases per day, based on a seven-day rolling average."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 56 percent of the US population has been fully vaccinated, with around 65% receiving at least one dose. Reuters notes, "Vaccination rates in some parts of the Midwest and South are lagging those in the Northeast and parts of the West Coast, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicating a divide between the rural and urban parts of the country."

As cases surge, President Biden notably received his third shot and encouraged all Americans to get their "booster." Currently, the US faces 117,625 cases per day, based on a seven-day rolling average. According to Dr. Fauci, the health crisis can only end when that number falls to about 10,000 cases a day.