The seven-day average of new COVID cases topped the 70,000 mark for the first time since Sept. 7,. according to a New York Times tracker, but the pace of increases has slowed. The data trackers cautioned, however, that slowing growth could be temporary, as more people gather for the holidays, as vaccine booster uptake lags and as case counts could be artificially low as counters take time off for the holidays. The daily new case average rose 5% from two weeks ago to 70,479 on Thursday, after rising 8% on Wednesday. The daily average for COVID-related hospitalizations increased 9% to 40,758, while those in intensive care units (ICUs) grew 13% to 4,835. The daily average for deaths rose to 422 from 413 on Wednesday, but fell 8% from two weeks ago.
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