Coronavirus update: Cases continue to decline, high vaccination rates a positive factor Most college students say they’ll get vaccinated 05/19/2021 Total U.S. confirmed cases: 32,999,741 (32,975,491) Total U.S. deaths: 587,245 (586,598) Total global cases: 164,348,314 (163,736,528) Total global deaths: 3,407,240 (3,392,840) Cases continue to decline in the U.S. For the U.S., news about the pandemic continues to get better. There were just under 28,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported Tuesday, down from a peak of 250,000. The two-week trend is down 37%. Among health officials, the emphasis this week has been on increasing vaccinations. While 37% of the total population has gotten the shot, the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks.