The US death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 600,000, although officials hailed progress towards a return to normality as its world-leading vaccination program promised to turn the page on one of the worst health crises in American history.
The United States has racked up by far the largest national death toll - ahead of Brazil and India - after a heavily criticised early response to the pandemic, but has since organised among the world's most effective immunisation drives.
Progress against the coronavirus was underlined as New York announced more than 70% of adults had received at least one vaccine dose and the last of the state's restrictions could be lifted. "There's still too many lives being lost," President Joe Biden said, noting