The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has recently declined, but caution is needed about easing quarantine measures.

CDC Director Rochelle Wallenski said at a press conference on 2nd that he was cautiously optimistic about the slowing trend, but said hospitalization and death rates were still high, with 2,300 deaths per day.

Director Wallansky said the situation was unpredictable, adding that the burden on health care facilities across the country remains.

He said the CDC should carefully review mortality and hospitalization rates before making a decision to ease quarantine measures.

Director Wallanski reiterated the importance of continuing to encourage booster vaccinations.

The number of new confirmed cases in the United States exceeded 1 million at the beginning of last month, but as of February 1, the weekly average daily number of new cases has dropped to 440,000. This is a decrease of about 36% compared to the previous week.

VOA

Author: MI Asian Staff