| President Joe Biden and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are both asking Americans to continue wearing masks and follow other restrictions to make sure a fourth surge of COVID-19 doesn't happen.
The double dose of warnings came even as Biden laid out hopeful new steps to expand coronavirus vaccinations, with all adults to become eligible over the next five weeks.
"This is deadly serious," Biden said, urging governors to reinstate mask mandates and other restrictions that some states have been easing.
During a virtual White House health briefing this week, Walensky grew emotional as she reflected on her experience treating COVID-19 patients who are alone at the end of their lives.
"We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope,” she said. “But right now, I'm scared. I'm going to lose the script, and I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom.”
Cases of the virus are up about 10% over the past week from the previous week, to about 60,000 cases per day, with both hospitalizations and deaths ticking up as well, Walensky said. She warned that without immediate action the U.S. could follow European countries into another spike in cases and suffer needless deaths.
In an address to the nation from the White House, Biden said, "If we let our guard down now, we can see the virus getting worse, not better. People are letting up on precautions, which is a very bad thing."
"Now is not the time to let down,” Biden said. "Now's not the time to celebrate. It is time to do what we do best as a country: our duty, our jobs, take care of one another. Fight to the finish," he added. “Don't let up now." | 
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