: New daily COVID cases dip through Christmas weekend, while hospitalizations level off

The daily average for new COVID cases dipped into the Christmas weekend, while hospitalizations leveled off and deaths declines. The seven-day average of new cases was 66,077 on Monday, flat from two weeks ago but down from 70,508 on Christmas Eve, according to a New York Times tracker. Less than half (24) of U.S. states saw cases climb from two weeks ago, led by Michigan at 55% and Kentucky at 44%, while the biggest decliners were Wyoming at 50% and Arizona at 48%. The number of COVID-related hospitalizations slipped to 40,156 on Monday from 40,969 on Saturday, but was up 3% over the past two weeks. COVID patients in intensive care units (ICUs) rose 11% in two weeks to 4,931, while deaths fell 9% to 426. The Times tracker noted that case and death counts over the holiday weekend could be artificially low, as officials who track those numbers take vacation.

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