Over A Dozen States See Uptick In New Coronavirus Cases

While the number of new coronavirus cases in the United States is slowly declining, over a dozen states have seen an increase in cases over the past week.

Fourteen states have seen the number of cases rise by more than 10% in the past week, with half of them seeing increases of more than 20%. Michigan led the nation with a 50% increase in cases of COVID-19, followed by Delaware (39%), Montana (34%), Alabama (31%), and West Virginia (29%), according to a report by CNN.

Data compiled by the Wall Street Journal found that a total of 21 states saw their seven-day averages climb above the 14-day averages, a sign that the number of new cases will continue to rise in those states in the coming weeks.

The uptick in cases comes as states are beginning to ease lockdown measures, something that is concerning to health experts.

“They simply took their eye off the ball,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said about European countries that lifted restrictions and are now dealing with a surge in cases. “I’m pleading with you for the sake of our nation’s health. These should be warning signs for all of us.”

The United States continues to make progress in vaccinating people. As of March 16, the CDC has delivered over 142 million doses across the country, and nearly 111 million doses have been administered. The agency said that 21% of adults have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 18% are fully vaccinated.

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