U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are nearing record levels, placing second only to this past winter's peak.
Below are seven other U.S. COVID-19 trends to know:
1. Though COVID-19 cases are still increasing nationwide, the rate of new infections appears to be slowing.
2. Since the start of August, the number of daily COVID-19 deaths reported has more than quadrupled, according to state and local health agency data cited by The New York Times.
3. According to HHS data last updated Aug. 31, COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined 4.8 percent in the last week.
4. Elevated case counts are driven in part by growing outbreaks in Midwestern and mid-Atlantic states, reports the Times.
5. As of Sept. 2, Tennessee and South Carolina have the highest increasing seven-day moving average of new infections, according to data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
6. Vaccination pace is increasing as more workplaces mandate employee inoculation against COVID-19. In mid-July, the U.S. was administering an average of 500,000 vaccinations daily, compared to Aug. 31, when the average was 900,000 — an 80 percent increase, Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said Aug. 31.
7. As of Sept. 1, 61.9 percent of all Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, while 52.6 percent are fully inoculated, reports the CDC.