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It's a worrying sign for the U.S. ahead of the holiday travel season: coronavirus infections are rising in more than half of all states. Experts warn this could be the start of an extended winter surge. The rise is a turnaround after cases had steadily declined from mid September to late October. The country is now averaging more than 83,000 cases a day — about a 14% increase compared to a week ago, and 12% more than two weeks ago. (Stone, 11/16)

COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are up nearly 27 percent in the last three weeks after steadily increasing since mid-October, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reported that as of Nov. 14, the 7-day average was at 80,823 daily cases, up from 63,852 on Oct. 24, representing a 26.6 percent increase in three weeks time. The COVID-19 increase could be a troubling indicator for what is ahead in the U.S. if it follows Europe's lead into another coronavirus wave. (Breslin, 11/16)

Hospitals in Michigan and Minnesota on Tuesday reported a wave of COVID-19 patients not seen in months as beds were filled with unvaccinated people and health care leaders warned that staff were being worn down by yet another surge. Michigan had slightly more than 3,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals this week, the first time it had crossed that threshold since spring, while nearly all hospital beds were occupied in Minnesota. Both held the unflattering rank of national virus hotspots. (White, 11/17)

Covid-19 cases in the U.S. need to fall “well below 10,000” per day for the country to achieve some semblance of pre-pandemic life, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated Tuesday. The U.S. reported an average of nearly 83,500 new Covid cases every day over the last week, a 14% increase from the week before, according to a CNBC analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. Fauci said in an interview at the 2021 STAT Summit that Covid cases may need to fall as low as 3,300 per day for the nation to gain control over the virus. Daily infections in the U.S. haven’t been below 10,000 since March 2020. (Towey, 11/16)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday that families who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should "feel good" about gathering for the holidays this year. Speaking about the future of the pandemic at the Bipartisan Policy Center, the chief medical adviser to the president joined former Senate majority leader Bill Frist, former Baltimore health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. (Musto, 11/16)

Resolve to Save Lives, a New York City-based nonprofit headed by Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched a campaign Tuesday that features testimonials from three people in their 20s who have been battling long-term health complications of covid-19 for the past year. They talk in television, radio and social media ads about devastating and lasting symptoms that prevent them from working, socializing and doing the simplest tasks. The nonprofit is hoping the voices of those “long haulers” can encourage vaccine uptake, especially among young adults. (Sun, 11/16)

After a scaled-down celebration last year, the famously frigid event will return at “full strength,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday. It will be Mr. de Blasio’s final act running New York City, after eight years in office, and serve as a prelude to his possible bid for governor next year. “We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated,” Mr. de Blasio said. “Join the crowd, join the joy, join a historic moment as New York City provides further evidence to the world that we are 100 percent back.” (Wong and Rubinstein, 11/16)

Most American children won’t be fully vaccinated by Christmas — but the kid-sized Covid vaccines can still make your holiday gatherings a lot safer, according to one Harvard epidemiologist. “Vaccinate,” Dr. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, tweeted on Sunday. “Even a single dose for your kid 10 days prior is an incredible safeguard.” (Stieg, 11/16)