Coronavirus Watch: US nears 600K COVID-19 deaths, a stark reminder of pandemic’s enduring toll

The U.S. quietly stood on the brink of 600,000 COVID infections Monday, a stark reminder of the pandemic’s enduring toll even as cities and states across the nation continued to take steps toward normalcy.

The remarkable progress in the nation’s battle against the coronavirus, thanks to a concerted vaccination effort led by the federal government, has ushered in the lifting of restrictions and perhaps even a sense that the pandemic’s over. The current seven-day average of about 430 COVID deaths a day is less than one-seventh of the 3,300 daily fatalities during the ghastly January peak.

But even 430 represents a fourfold increase on the number of Americans per day who die of the flu in a typical year, and the U.S. still leads the world by plenty in reported coronavirus cases (33.4 million) and deaths. No other nation comes within 100,000 COVID fatalities.

And with 48% of Americans still unvaccinated, the potential for further grief and suffering has been far from eliminated.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, but it doesn’t bring back any of those lives or bring solace to the grieving families,’’ said Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation’s ongoing vaccine monitor shows 20% of adults don’t intend to get the vaccine unless required, and 12% are on a wait-and-see mode. That’s nearly one-third of the country’s adults expressing reluctance.

In light of that, along with unresolved questions about the impact of highly contagious variants, how long immunity lasts and the possible need for booster shots, it’s hard to ascertain whether 600,000 will be the last sorrowful threshold the U.S. crosses.

It's Monday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news you need to know:

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that Britain won't be dropping all remaining pandemic restrictions next Monday after all. An association of nightclubs said it will challenge the four-week delay in court.
• Vermont Gov. Phil Scott lifted all remaining state restrictions, saying 80% of eligible residents have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.
• Although new COVID-19 cases are declining across most of the nation, eight states are seeing increases – and seven of those have below-average vaccination rates, new data reveals.
• German officials are considering loosening mask rules after recording the lowest number of new daily coronavirus infections in nearly nine months – 549.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has more than 33.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 599,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: Over 176 million cases and over 3.8 million deaths. More than 143.9 million Americans have been fully vaccinated – 43.4% of the population, according to the CDC. 

See the numbers in your area here, check out where cases are rising here, and see how many vaccines your state has received here.

– Jorge L. Ortiz (@jorgelortiz) and John Bacon (@realjohnbacon)