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CDC director warns "now is not the time" to lift COVID restrictions, citing stalled progress

01 March 2021
Dan Ackermann

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky warned states on Monday that "now is not the time" to lift public health restrictions, as the recent dramatic declines in coronavirus cases and deaths "appear to be stalling."

Why it matters: While the average of 70,000 new infections and 2,000 daily deaths is nowhere near the extremely high levels recorded at the start of 2021, the figures are still a poor baseline to "stop a potential fourth surge" — especially with the threat posed by more contagious new variants, Walensky warned.

By the numbers: The most recent seven-day average of cases and deaths increased by about 2%, after plummeting across the country for several weeks in a row.

What they're saying: "With these new statistics, I'm really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from COVID-19," Walenky said at a press briefing.

  • "I understand the temptation to do this. ... But we cannot be resigned to 70,000 cases a day, 2,000 daily deaths," she continued.
  • "At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard earned ground we have gained. These variants are a very real threat to our people and our progress."

What's next: Health officials say moving quickly with vaccinations will help, but that Americans waiting for shots must be continue to be rigorous with their own mitigation measures.

Go deeper: U.S. sets weekend records for daily COVID vaccinations

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.