Experts warn that after weeks of declining coronavirus cases, hot spots are emerging as restrictions relax

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Wed, 2021-03-17 10:15 — mike kraft

After weeks of declining cases, echoes of hot spots emerge in Upper Midwest, New York City area Michigan has seen a rise in hospitalizations and positive test results. Minnesota’s numbers are creeping up, as are Maryland’s and New Jersey’s. Many places, including New York City and surrounding counties, are no longer seeing steady declines in cases, despite intensive vaccination efforts. Joel Achenbach, Ariana Eunjung Cha, Jacqueline Dupree Washington Post

After weeks of declining coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations, new hot spots of infection have emerged, and disease experts warn that the spread of a more dangerous variant and a too-rapid rush to return to normal life could prolong the historic health emergency.

Caseloads are down nationally and tens of millions of people are fully loaded with antibodies to the virus, with more than 2 million people getting doses of vaccine every day. But the virus continues to pose a real and present threat, with about 55,000 new infections daily.

Michigan has seen a rise in hospitalizations and positive test results. Minnesota’s numbers are creeping up, as are Maryland’s and New Jersey’s. Many places, including New York City and surrounding counties, are no longer seeing steady declines in cases, despite intensive vaccination efforts.

“There’s a resurgence going on here,” said disease tracker David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It is too soon to call this a “wave,” and he does not foresee a return to the level of cases reported during the winter, he said. But Rubin said cases are flat or creeping up in much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Upper Midwest.

“There’s clearly been a change here in the last couple of weeks,” Rubin said.

Behavior is changing in this pandemic-fatigued nation. This week is set to be a major turning point for reopenings. Wedding parties are kicking off again in New York. Pennsylvania is allowing more fans into stadiums. And most of Maryland has opened up restaurants to full capacity.

Air travel hit a pandemic record during the weekend, with 1.2 million to 1.3 million people traveling each day from Thursday to Sunday. That was more than any four-day period since March 2020.

Infectious-disease experts are imploring people to stay cautious and respect the lingering threat of the virus. With the end of the coronavirus pandemic potentially in sight, experts recognize this is one of the trickiest phases of the crisis — epidemiologically and psychologically. ...

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