In response to Fauci, Covid infections are lowering in all 50 states

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director at the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a press conference with Press Secretary Jen Psaki at the White House in Washington, USA, on April 13, 2021.

Tom Brenner | Reuters

Dr. White House chief medical officer Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that Covid-19 infections are decreasing in every state in the United States

“All 50 states have now seen declines in infection rates,” Fauci said in an interview with Axios, suggesting the widespread declines would make it safer for Americans to resume activities such as indoor dining.

The US reports an average of 31,200 new cases per day over the past week, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. This corresponds to a decrease of 18% compared to the previous week. Case numbers have been falling since the country’s last peak about a month ago in mid-April, when the country recorded more than 71,000 cases per day.

Fauci did not provide the length of time over what period these declines in state-level infections have occurred. A CNBC analysis of the Johns Hopkins data shows the average daily caseload in 40 states has decreased by 5% or more over the past week.

The data is murky in some places, such as Alabama, where Johns Hopkins says the number of cases has been released in recent days, making the latest trend difficult to interpret.

Fauci’s statement suggests that the outbreak is weakening across the country, rather than being more confined to a particular state or region responsible for the decline in numbers.