COVID-19 updates: US daily death average falls below 2,000 for 1st time in month
The average declined by 15.3% to 1,920 virus-related deaths every day.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.9 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 938,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
CDC 'working to update' mask guidance 'soon': Walensky
Asked if Americans should follow the CDC's mask guidance or their state or city's rules, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Monday, "We still recommend indoor masking in public settings that have areas of high transmission … and right now that's over 98% of our counties."
But case are "dropping fast," Walensky told Andy Slavitt, former senior adviser to the Biden administration's COVID response team, on his podcast "In the Bubble."
"We are working to update our guidance soon," Walensky said.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
Carnival Cruise Line eases mask mandates
Carnival has joined Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in easing mask mandates onboard cruises, announcing that masks will be recommended, but not required beginning March 1.
Norwegian previously announced it will drop its mask requirement for vaccinated passengers starting March 1. Royal Caribbean said it will reopen indoor mask-free areas for fully vaccinated travelers on Feb. 14.
-ABC News' Mina Kaji
Moderna researching combination vaccine for COVID booster, flu shot, RSV vaccine
Moderna said it's in the early stages of research for a combination vaccine that would combine three vaccines into one: a COVID-19 booster, a flu vaccine and an RSV vaccine.
There is no current vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, a virus that causes mild symptoms in most adults but can be deadly for older adults and young children. This new study will only test the vaccine in adults over 60.
The CDC estimates RSV kills 14,000 Americans over 65 each year.
-ABC News' Sony Salzman
Queen Elizabeth cancels virtual engagements
Buckingham Palace on Tuesday canceled some of Queen Elizabeth's virtual engagements, saying the monarch continues to have mild COVID symptoms.
"As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties," palace officials said in a statement.
The palace announced on Sunday that the Queen, 95, tested positive.
-ABC News' Zoe Magee
13 states seeing daily death rates rising
As of Friday, the U.S. was seeing an average of 103,000 new COVID-19 cases per day -- the lowest point since early December, according to federal data.
But 97% of U.S. counties are still reporting high or substantial transmission. Experts stress that case data should be used with caution as some states are beginning to end regular data reporting. Also many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals are likely be higher than reported.
The U.S. now has 57,000 COVID-19-positive patients in hospitals -- a major drop from mid-January when 160,000 people were hospitalized, according to federal data.
Last week the U.S. daily death average fell below 2,000 for the first time in nearly one month. Since last week, the national daily death average has dropped by 15.3%, falling to around 1,920 deaths per day, according to federal data.
However, it's still important to note that thousands of Americans are still losing their lives every day. Thirteen states are reporting daily death rates increasing by at least of 10%: Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos