Increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases have been reported in more than a dozen states – as experts warn that the United States may see a resurgence if Americans let their guard down with more flexible public health rules.
Although the national case count dropped 32.5% last month, there are 15 states that have seen their numbers increase by at least 10%, reported ABC News.
These states are: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and West Virginia.
Meanwhile, several other states reported sharp increases in infections in the past week, the vehicle said.
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Delaware, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and West Virginia recorded a jump of more than 25% in their case numbers, the vehicle reported.
New York has not seen a significant jump in recent infections, but the state has a seven-day average of 35 cases per 100,000 people – a high per capita figure surpassed only by New Jersey, according to the New York Times.
Michael Osterholm, who is head of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that these increasing numbers can be attributed to some states by easing restrictions.
“Minnesota, I think, is really a harbinger of things to come. We are loosening all restrictions that we had and, in a way, creating a perfect storm moment for the transmission of the virus, be it a variant or not,” he said. to ABC News.
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Dr. Tara Smith, an infectious disease specialist at the Kent State University School of Public Health, said the country could be hit by a resurgence if Americans became less strict about following public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
“I don’t expect to see anything so bad about what we just recovered from, but if we’re not careful, cases can increase again if we let our guard down too early,” Smith told the newspaper.
This article originally appeared on NYPost.com.