The seven-day average for new daily coronavirus cases in the United States fell below 58,000 this week for the first time since mid-October, after weeks in which a steady decline in new infections appeared to have plateaued. The drop comes as the United States is administering an average of 2.15 million vaccine doses per day, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. But even as more Americans are immunized against the virus, public health experts are warning against the loosening of restrictions in states such as Florida and Texas. This month, spring break starts for tens of thousands of college students in the United States, which scientists worry could accelerate the spread of new variants.

Here are some significant developments:
  • The U.S. refusal to completely shut down during the pandemic meant it never got control of the coronavirus, said top infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci. “Viruses don’t mutate unless they replicate,” he said Tuesday.
  • Congress may soon pass President Biden’s coronavirus stimulus package but there is still the matter of administering one of the largest economic relief packages in U.S. history.
  • Alaska is the first state to remove eligibility requirements for the coronavirus vaccine, making immunization available to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state.
  • Some experts disagree with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines that discourage vaccinated people from traveling. One leading physician said the agency “is being far overly cautious in a way that defies common sense.”
  • Nearly 32 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated, a little less than 10 percent of the population. The nation is averaging about 2.1 million doses administered per day, up from about 1.5 million one month ago.

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