According to data collected and analyzed by the COVID Tracking Project, the vast majority of states—41, to be exact—reported double-digit percentage drops in their seven-day averages of new cases this week. While seven other states roughly stayed the same with smaller single-digit drops in cases, there were three that saw COVID numbers increase, including two that jumped substantially. The news comes as some areas around the U.S. have begun to remove statewide face mask mandates, including North Dakota, Iowa, and Montana. And unfortunately, top health officials warn that downward trends in cases can be dangerously misleading, especially as highly contagious COVID variants begin to spread. “We are nowhere out of the woods,” Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said during an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation on Feb. 14. “Now is the time to double down,” she added, noting we’re seeing “over two and a half times the cases we had over the summer.” So, which states are currently seeing numbers rise, as of Feb. 15? Read on to find out, according to the COVID Tracking Project’s latest data. And for more on how you can stay safe, know that If You’re Layering These Masks, the CDC Says to Stop Immediately. Seven-day average of new cases: 360ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Percentage change from previous week: Up 3 percent And for more COVID updates you need to know about, check out This One Thing Can’t Protect You From COVID After All, New Study Finds. Seven-day average of new cases: 156 Percentage change from previous week: Up 13 percent And for more on how you can get inoculated in your area, check out If You Live in These States, You Can Now Get Vaccinated at Walgreens. Seven-day average of new cases: 500 Percentage change from previous week: Up 22 percent And for more COVID news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Seven-day average of new cases: 50 Percentage change from previous week: Down 52 percent And for more masking advice you need to follow, check out If You See This on Your Mask, the FDA Says Toss It Immediately.
