The U.S. is reporting the lowest daily COVID-19 case averages since early October, according to data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
About 49,000 new U.S. cases are being recorded each day, the lowest number in almost seven months. Hospitalizations are also hovering around 40,000, similar to early fall levels, according to The New York Times. Nationwide, about 700 virus deaths are reported each day, down from a January peak of more than 3,000.
Recently, some states, such as Wisconsin and West Virginia, have reported zero new virus deaths, reports the Times.
However, regional hotspots are still emerging. In Nevada, both cases and deaths are well above the recent averages, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In Alaska, statewide cases and hospitalizations are declining, but Fairbanks is experiencing its worst outbreak thus far, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Driven largely by younger, unvaccinated individuals, the spike is pushing Fairbanks Memorial Hospital's capacity and staffing to a breaking point, health officials said May 5.