At the start of today’s Covid-19 briefing, CDC director Rochelle Walensky released encouraging figures in reducing new cases, deaths and hospital admissions, but also offered a note of caution.
“We continue to see trends in the right direction, but cases, hospital admissions and deaths remain at very high levels,” said Walensky.
New cases, according to Walensky, have declined steadily for five weeks, with the current seven-day average falling 74% from its peak on January 11. Today’s seven-day average, said Walensky, is now 66,000 cases a day and is comparable to last summer’s peak.
With regard to new hospital admissions, the seven-day average of 6,500 marks a 60% decline from the peak on January 9 and is the lowest rate of new hospital admissions since last fall.
With 1,900 deaths per day, the seven-day average of deaths is 39% below the average of seven previous days, making it the lowest number since the beginning of December.
Still, Walensky noted: “This seven-day average is offset by the harsh reality that this week, we will exceed half a million Covid-19 deaths in the United States, a truly tragic reminder of the enormity of this pandemic and the loss has affected our lives. personal and our communities. “
“Although the pandemic is moving in the right direction, there is still a lot of work to be done,” she added.