An analysis Friday in the New York Times, which has been consistently critical of our national response to this pandemic, shared data that can only be described as optimistic. Listen to these numbers. More than 60 percent of American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The percentage of COVID tests that turn out to be positive is less than three percent for the first time since we started widespread testing. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is at the lowest point in almost a year. And with cases across the country dropping quickly, deaths will almost certainly plummet as well. It seems reasonable to conclude that with so many people vaccinated, and with a high percentage of unvaccinated people already having the disease and having some immunity, the coronavirus doesn’t have many places to spread. Or put another way, we seem to be approaching herd immunity. As we head into summer in the coming weeks, we might finally see a return to our normal lives.