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Obama said he is “feeling fine” other than a scratchy throat, reminding people to get vaccinated even as the number of cases in the U.S. goes down.

Former first lady Michelle Obama tested negative, he said.

MORE: 2 years into pandemic, Americans still feeling deadly impact of COVID-19The country’s death toll now stands at 965,000 lives lost. The U.S. national case total has also surpassed 79.4 million confirmed cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Nationwide, hospitalization rates continue to decline steadily.

Former president Barack Obama speaks during day 9 of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 8, 2021.© Ian Forsyth/Getty Images, FILE Former president Barack Obama speaks during day 9 of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 8, 2021.On Thursday, for the first time since July, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 positive Americans fell below 30,000, according to federal data. This marks a more than 80% decline in the number of patients requiring care for the virus, since the nation’s peak, when 160,000 people were hospitalized about two months ago.

MORE: President Trump taken to Walter Reed Medical CenterFormer President Donald Trump was hospitalized in October 2020 after testing positive with COVID-19.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.