Half of the adults in the United States are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to the latest data Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The milestone in the sweeping effort for the U.S. to inoculate its way out of the pandemic comes as infections and deaths from Covid fall to lows the nation has not seen for nearly a year.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden set the goal of getting 70% of adults to receive at least their first dose of a Covid vaccine by the Fourth of July. The president said his hope was for the U.S. to “celebrate our independence as a nation, and our independence of this virus,” by Independence Day.
Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City to Reopen July 1
New York City, its bars, restaurants and tourist sites will have a “full reopening” on July 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. “We are ready to bring New York City back fully on July 1st, all systems go, because you’ve earned it,” de Blasio said. He said that Broadway shows might take more time because they had been aiming for a September return, but that “some of the smaller, more intimate shows, we might be looking more like July, August, and we’ll move heaven and earth to help them get that done.”
De Blasio said he expects at least 400,000 jobs lost to the pandemic to return by year’s end. The mayor cited the city’s vaccination rate as crucial to the effort, saying 6.4 million New Yorkers have already been jabbed. The city was among the hardest hit in the early stages of the pandemic when long lines formed at hospital emergency rooms and ventilators were at a premium. More than 32,000 New Yorkers have died and more than 900,000 have tested positive for the coronavirus. “This is going to be the summer of New York City,” de Blasio said. “We’re all going to get to enjoy the city again. And people are going to flock here from all over the country to be a part of this amazing moment in New York City.”