WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With 69,586 new cases reporting on Thursday, the number of people infected with coronavirus in the United States has risen to 30079283. This is more than the 7-day average of 58579.
1270 people died in the same period from the pandemic, taking the national total to 546822. The 7-day average is 1019.
Highest number of deaths - 226 - occurred in California, while most cases - 8683 - were reported in New York.
Meanwhile, the Biden Administration announced a series of actions to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines to the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities across the country.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to invest nearly $10 billion to expand access to vaccines and better serve communities of color, rural areas, low-income populations, and other underserved communities in the COVID-19 response.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is planning to provide funding in April to nearly 1,400 Community Health Centers across the country.
The Biden Administration also announced a new partnership with dialysis clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to people receiving dialysis and health care personnel in outpatient dialysis clinics.
Speaking at his first formal news conference since taking office, President Biden announced a target of administering 200 million COVID vaccine shots in people's arms by his 100th day in office.
Biden expressed confidence in meeting the goal of getting a majority of schools in K through 8 fully open in the first 100 days.
More than 100 million payments of $1,400 have gone into people's bank accounts under the American Rescue Plan, he told reporters.
In major developments outside the U.S., a virtual summit of European Union leaders recommended toughening export controls of AstraZeneca vaccine, and urged the pharma giant to speed up its mass deliveries bound for the bloc.
Argentina suspended all incoming flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases in those countries.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX