New daily cases of coronavirus returned more than 100,000 on Thursday, after falling below that threshold for the first time since the fall earlier this week.
The general trend in recent weeks is still positive, as cases and hospitalizations have fallen from their January highs.
But the 103,000 cases on Thursday, as recorded by the COVID Tracking Project, remind that the spread of the virus is still at extremely high levels, and the more contagious variants threaten to start an upward growth.
Cases fell by 23% from last week and by 57% from the peak in January. Hospitalizations decreased by 42% compared to high values, according to the COVID follow-up project.
But the number of viruses remains heavy, with about 3,000 people dying every day. Deaths are an indicator of delay, so the decrease in the number of cases will take longer to occur there.
And the threat of more contagious variants, in particular one first identified in the United Kingdom, known as B.1.1.7, threatens to reverse the downward trends.
In essence, a race has been launched between the new variants and vaccinations. Experts say that the sooner people can be vaccinated, the more will be done to prevent further growth.
Other precautions remain essential, including wearing a mask, avoiding indoor gatherings, and keeping your distance from others.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed on Thursday that it is important to wear a mask that fits well and said that wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask can significantly reduce transmission.