For the first time in more than three months, the country is starting to see a decline in coronavirus-related hospital admission and daily cases.
Even though there has been some progress, the nation's top infectious disease expert says it's still too early to tell if people should be gathering in large groups for the upcoming holiday season.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said, "we certainly are turning the corner on this particular surge, but we have experienced over now close to 20 months of surges that go up and then come down and the go back up again."
He stressed that in order to keep the downward trend, we need to get more people vaccinated.
There are numerous vaccine mandates in place across the country.
Here in Maryland, state employees who work in congregate settings had to provide proof of vaccination a month ago. If they didn't, they're required to wear a mask and complete regular testing. That mandate impacted 48 state facilities.
Dr. Fauci, and many other experts, support these mandates.
"Throughout you know, years and years, decades, we have made it a requirement for children to get into schools to get different types of vaccines," said Dr. Fauci. He added, "so when people treat this as something novel and terrible, it isn't."
The CDC stated being vaccinated is the best choice if you want to have family gatherings this holiday season. They also suggested wearing masks in areas with high transmission and having events outside, if possible. If your event is inside, it's suggested to open windows or doors to have better air circulation.
The CDC also recommends considering virtual celebrations.
