COVID-19 updates: US daily death average falls below 2,000 for 1st time in month

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday the country will only lift COVID-19 restrictions when it is "well beyond" the omicron peak.

During a Post-Cabinet press conference, Ardern said COVID-19 cases are expected to double every three to four days with a peak expected in mid-to-late March.

“It’s likely then that, very soon, we will all know people who have COVID or we will potentially get it ourselves,” she said.

Restrictions currently include unvaccinated people not being allowed to enter restaurants and bars, students being required to wear masks and events such as weddings being limited to 100 guests, or 25 guests if there are unvaccinated people in attendance.

Ardern also addressed protesters who have been occupying the grounds of the parliament building over the last week in protest of COVID rules.

"Everyone is over COVID. No one wants to live with rules or restrictions. But had we not all been willing to work together to protect one another, then we all would have been worse off as individuals, including losing people we love," she said.

Ardern continued, "We all want to go back to the way that life was, and we will, I suspect sooner than you think. But when that happens, it will be because easing restrictions won't compromise the lives of thousands of people, not because you demanded it."

Maui announced Monday it is ending its requirement for people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor restaurants and other businesses.

"Beginning February 21, 2022, proof of vaccination or testing will no longer be required for indoor service at restaurants and bars," according to a statement on the island's website.

People using fitness centers and gyms will also not need to know show proof of vaccination.

This makes Oahu the last island in Hawaii to still require people to be fully vaccinated to enter restaurants, bars and gyms.

However, the County of Maui still requires masks to be worn indoors, and out-of-state travelers must show proof of vaccination to avoid a mandatory five-day quarantine.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday the end of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England.

This includes the requirement that people who test positive for COVID-19 self-isolate, and officials will no longer perform contact tracing.

People who do contract the virus will still be advised to stay home, but they will not receive any financial support from the government for missing work, a measure that was introduced during the pandemic.

Additionally, free lab PCR tests will only be available to the elderly and the immunocompromised while free rapid tests will no longer be distributed by the government.

“We now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defense,” Johnson said in a speech to the House of Commons.

Johnson acknowledged that the virus "has not gone away," noting that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday, but added the country needs to "learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms."

The daily average of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. fell below 2,000 for the first time in nearly a month over the weekend.

In the last week, the average has declined by about 15.3% to approximately 1,920 virus-related deaths every day. 

Although the average remains high, experts say deaths are a lagging indicator and the country may finally see sharp drops after several weeks of increases.

Additionally, the daily average of COVID-19 cases has fallen to 103,000 per day, reaching its lowest average since early December.

Since the country's peak in early January, the average of new infections in the U.S. has dropped by 87%.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos