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New COVID-19 infections are again on the risein parts of the U.S., as the weary country moves pastthe one-year anniversary of the pandemicandwaits to be vaccinated.
Michigan is seeing the largest jump, with cases increasing 50% over the last two weeks. Other Midwestern states like Montana, North Dakota and Idaho are also dealing with an increase in infections.
On the East Coast, while New York state has a low caseload, New York City is still seeing around 3,500 cases a day, as the positivity rate stays at about 7%. Cases in New Jersey and Connecticut are also growing, along with Mid-Atlantic states like Delaware and Maryland.
“There’s a resurgence going on here,” disease tracker David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,told theWashington Postof the U.S. “There’s clearly been a change here in the last couple of weeks.”
U.S. cases were on a steep decline after the deadly holiday surge, when the country saw a record-breaking 300,000 new infections in a single day. In the last week, cases have averaged around 55,000 a day,according toThe New York Times, a number that is still very worrisome.
But despite the new rise in cases and the insistence from public health experts to continue following COVID-19 restrictions, most states have announced that they are allowing businesses to reopen with larger capacities and, in the case of Texas and Mississippi, removing mask requirements.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,tells PEOPLEthat the decision to reopen states is “risky.”
“I understand the urge to get back to normal as soon as possible, but I don’t agree with it,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “It’s risky and could set us back to a place that’s even worse than where we are now … and lead to additional surges. … Even when the authorities pull back on [preventative] recommendations, I would urge people to follow the recommendations from the CDC.”
If Americans continue to wear masks and avoid gathering with people outside of their household, the end of the pandemic will be in sight.
“It’s too early to declare victory, but as we increase the number of vaccinations and don’t precipitously pull back on public health measures, we could be headed on a steady pathway toward things getting progressively back to normal,” Fauci says.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
