New COVID-19 cases nationally drop below 100K for first time in 2021

The number of new daily coronavirus cases has dropped below 100,000 for the first time this year, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Just under 87,000 cases were recorded in the U.S. on Feb. 7. The last time Johns Hopkins recorded fewer than 100,000 daily cases was on Nov. 2.

Deaths are also down, according to data kept by The New York Times. It recorded 1,301 deaths on Sunday, compared to 4,101 deaths on Jan. 27 and and 4,406 on Jan. 12. 

Both case numbers and total deaths across the country can vary based on different reporting methods by states and local communities. 

Cases in the United States shot up in November and December as people moved indoors because of the colder weather, and as families and friends gathered for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

The number of cases peaked in early January and have been dropping steadily ever since. 

More and more people are now getting vaccines, though total vaccinations in the country represent a tiny portion of the population. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has administered more than 41 million doses of the vaccine, with more than 9 million people receiving both doses.

New variants of the coronavirus have also raised fears that COVID-19 could spread further if those variants take hold before more people are vaccinated. Some of the newer variants of the coronavirus have been found to be much more contagious versions of the virus.

The U.S. has so far recorded more than 27 million cases of the coronavirus and over 463,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.