More than 51 per cent US adults vaccinated against Covid-19: DC

In this photo taken on May 28, US President Joe Biden speaks to service members at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, in Hampton, Virginia. Pic/AFP

The United States (US) is on track to reach a target calling for 70 per cent of adults to have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

New CDC data released on Saturday indicates that more than half of all adults in the US, or more than 51 per cent, are now fully vaccinated against the Coronavirus, marking another milestone in the country's pandemic recovery, reports dpa news agency.

Some 167.2 million people 18 years or older have received at least one dose, according to the CDC data. President Joe Biden set a goal earlier this month of hitting the first milestone by July 4, when Independence Day is celebrated.

The target was expected to be reached hit, with the number standing at 61 per cent more than a month out. Still, the pace of vaccinations varies across the country, with the north-east and west coast among the regions with the highest take-up while the south has moved more slowly.

The CDC indicated that speaking of the entire US population of some 330 million, around 40 per cent of the population are already fully vaccinated now.

Three vaccines are in use in the US: the two manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, which are administered in two doses, as well as the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab.

This month, the US authorities extended the authorisation of Pfizer/BioNTech's shot to children as young as 12.

‘B.1.617 variant a problem for UK'

The B.1.617 Coronavirus variant could "pick up speed and become a big problem" in the UK as the country further eases its lockdown, an expert has warned. The UK's fight against Coronavirus could turn bad "very, very quickly" unless the government acts cautiously on easing lockdown further, said Professor Tim Gowers from the University of Cambridge.

Bulgaria extends emergency

The Bulgarian government has extended the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic emergency until July 31, the cabinet said in a statement. The epidemic emergency was initially declared on May 14 last year with a duration of one month, replacing the state of emergency implemented on March 13, Xinhua news agency. It has already been extended several times, with the last extension to the end of May.

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4,69,996
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

17,00,44,172
Total no. of cases worldwide

35,35,383
Total no. of deaths worldwide

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