COVID case numbers drop since start of September, related death near those in early March

The number of new COVID-19 cases per day in the U.S. has dropped since the start of September and are now at about 139,000, according to new data.

However, the average number of daily COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has exceeded 1,900 for the first time since early March, according to the Associated Press. 

The number of deaths typically take longer to fall because victims often linger for weeks before succumbing.

Health experts say the virus is largely spreading among the 71 million people in the United States who are not vaccinated, according to the

Nearly 64% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the average number of deaths per day has increased by 40% over the past two weeks, from 1,387 to 1,947, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.