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Average daily deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus are starting to decline, prompting cautious hope that the deadliest part of the latest wave fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant is over.
Still, the number remains elevated. More than 2,000 people per day are dying from the coronavirus on average, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But it’s a decrease from early February, when more than 2,500 deaths were being reported on average each day. Deaths tend to lag behind declining infections.
The U.S. is averaging over 120,000 new coronavirus cases each day. It’s a far drop from its peak in mid-January of over 800,000.
Cartoons on the Coronavirus
“Omicron cases are declining, and we are all cautiously optimistic about the trajectory we are on,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing this week. “Things are moving in the right direction, but we want to remain vigilant to do all we can so that this trajectory continues.”
Walensky stressed that hospitalization rates and hospital capacity will be important COVID-19 metrics to monitor going forward. She said the agency would “soon” put out new, “relevant” guidance.
“We are assessing the most important factors based on where we are in the pandemic, and we’ll soon put guidance in place that is relevant and encourages prevention measures when they are most needed to protect public health and our hospitals,” Walensky said.
The move comes after several – mostly Democratic – states have made plans to drop their mask mandates, citing declining cases and hospitalizations.
While pressure grows for the CDC to help states chart a path into a “new phase” of COVID-19, some are going at it alone. California on Thursday announced what appears to be the first state COVID-19 response plan intended to guide a shift toward living with the coronavirus.
“We move out of the pandemic phase, and we move into a phase which should allow confidence that we are not walking away – that we’re taking the lessons learned, and we’re leaning into the future,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference.