The pace of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. fell by nearly 20% over the past week — the fifth straight week of double-digit declines.

The big picture: America’s vaccination drive is working, and as it continues to expand, the country can safely get back to many of its pre-pandemic routines.

By the numbers: The U.S. averaged roughly 24,000 new cases per day over the past week, a 20% drop from week before. Cases have fallen every week since mid-April.

• 38 states improved over the past week. Only four states saw their outbreaks grow.
• This is happening because of the vaccines. Half of American adults are fully vaccinated, and roughly 62% of adults have gotten at least one shot, according to the CDC.

What’s next: The pandemic continues to rage overseas, and the Biden administration will face increasing pressure to export more vaccines now that the virus is so well contained in the U.S.

Each week, Axios tracks the change in new infections in each state. We use a seven-day average to minimize the effects of day-to-day discrepancies in states’ reporting.