COVID cases are DECLINING for the first time since June - signalling an end to the summer Delta surge - as the US eclipses 40 million cases during the pandemic and Mu variant rises

For the first time in over two months, COVID-19 cases are declining in the United States.

As of September 6, the U.S. is averaging 137,000 new daily cases nationwide, a nine percent decrease from the 151,000 case average two weeks ago on August 24.

It is the first time since June 30 that the national average is lower than the total from two weeks earlier.

The Delta variant-fueled COVID-19 surge began soon after June 30, striking the Midwest in early July.

A decline in cases could signal that the case surge that began just over two months ago may finally be reaching an end.

A majority of states do not report cases daily anymore, though, so the decline could be a matter of some holding on to data to report at a later date. 

Some experts also fear cases could soon quickly start rising once again after many Americans travelled for the labor day holiday. 

The country did reach another milestone this week as well, though, as the U.S. reached 40 million total COVID-19 cases on Monday.

The 'Mu' variant, a strain of the virus experts believe could be even more contagious and even evade vaccines is now being found in the United States as well.