As a whole, the United States is experiencing its most sustained and significant decline in confirmed COVID-19 infections since the virus first reached the country last year, but the situation does vary by region. On Tuesday, the question of why cases in New York City, the original U.S. epicenter, don't seem to be declining as quickly as the rest of the country.
On Monday, for instance, New York's 14-day decline in cases was just 1 percent. Compared to the 40 percent national decline over that same period, that's pretty slow. Nobody has pinpointed a singular explanation (and there likely isn't one), but there are some simple, plausible theories you've probably heard before over the last 11 months.
The most obvious one would be testing. The city government has reportedly hinted that it considers its testing program more robust than elsewhere, so it's still picking up more mild or asymptomatic cases of the virus, generally speaking, and a big drop in hospitalizations does seem to back up that notion. Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver theorized the disparity grew even more pronounced in recent weeks because bad weather limited the number of people who could access testing in many places.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the question himself Tuesday, arguing that his city also was starting from a high peak. Tim O'Donnell
-
Democrats’ strategy to woo voters for 2026: religionThe Explainer Politicians like Rob Sand and James Talarico have made a name for themselves pushing their faith
-
Pregnancy in AmericaFeature Why is it getting riskier to give birth in the U.S.?
-
The potential warning sign of an auto lender’s bankruptcyIn the Spotlight Tricolor collapse an ‘extreme example’ of economy’s challenges
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
