Seattle has become the first major US city to vaccinate 70 percent of its residents ages 12 and over, the mayor said Wednesday.

“Seattle is America’s most vaccinated major city, and it would not have been possible without our residents’ commitment to protecting themselves, their loved ones, and our entire community,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a statement.

“Now that we have reached community protection, we can lead the nation in safely reopening and recovering in earnest,” the mayor said.

Durkan added that 78 percent of the city’s population 12 and up has begun the vaccination process.

With the 70 percent threshold reached, Durkan said the city will now launch efforts to support the reopening of retailers, restaurants, arts and culture programming and other initiatives.

The first confirmed COVID-19 case in the US was reported north of Seattle in January 2020.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been over 440,000 coronavirus cases and more than 5,700 deaths in the state.

With Post wires





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