Byron York’s Daily Memo: Just a reminder: COVID cases are falling
The number of new cases is down by nearly one-third in the last 14 days. But it was falling before that, and the total decrease is even bigger. If you look at the graph, the peak of new cases occurred on January 8 — a seven-day average of 259,564 new cases reported each day. Now, that average is 141,137 new cases per day. And the number reported Tuesday, February 2 was 114,173, giving hope that the decline will continue.
Hospitalizations are down, too. According to another Times graph, below, the seven-day average of hospitalizations peaked at 131,127 on January 12. The figure is now 98,820. Deaths, the lagging indicator in the crisis, have been basically flat since that time.