CDC director warns of ‘looming disaster’ as Covid cases rise

WASHINGTON – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Monday warned of “impending catastrophe” as the United States sees a steady rise in Covid-19 cases and made an emotional appeal to Americans so that they continue to follow the wearing of masks and social activities. -distance guidelines.

“I’m speaking today not necessarily as the director of CDC, and not just as the director of CDC, but as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, to ask you to just hold on for a bit. longer, “Walensky said. “I want to be done so badly, I know you all want to be done so badly. We’re almost there, but not quite yet. And so I ask you to be patient a little longer to get vaccinated when you can, so that all of these people we all love are still there when this pandemic ends.

Walensky, who has been warning of troubling data on the number of new infections for weeks, said she feared the United States would see another increase in cases similar to last summer and reflecting the spikes in Europe. She attributed this increase in part to the spread of more contagious variants, the increase in travel and the too rapid decline in restrictions by governors. She said she would again urge governors on Tuesday not to open their states too quickly.

“I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” she said. “We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential from where we are at, and so much to hope for. But for the moment, I’m afraid. I know what it’s like, as a doctor, to be next to this patient room dressed, gloved, masked, protected and to be the last person to touch someone else’s loved ones, because their relatives could not be there. “

The average number of new cases rose 10% to just under 60,000 cases per day over the past week, she said. Hospitalizations have also increased and deaths have increased by almost 3% to an average of 1,000 deaths per day.

The warning comes after the United States has approached 3 million vaccinations per day in recent days, surpassing that milestone on Sunday, said Jeffrey Zients, the White House Covid-19 coordinator. As of Monday, 73% of seniors had received their first dose and more than one in 3 adults had received their first dose.

Zients also said that the administration is not currently planning to create a vaccine passport that would allow those who have been vaccinated to engage in certain activities, as other countries have done. The administration does not see this as the role of the federal government, but rather it would be up to the private sector to implement it, he said.