FIRST ON CNN: CDC set to stop tracking community levels for Covid-19
The CDC will stop reporting color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels as of May 11.
CNN
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will cease reporting their color-coded Covid-19 community levels as a means to track the spreading of the disease on May 11.
According to a source with knowledge of the plans, the CDC's main focus will be on monitoring hospitalizations in certain areas and wastewater.
The agency uses the same method to track other respiratory infections such as influenza.
A person told me that the agency may announce the end to its community levels by next week. However, the timing is not finalized yet.
In late February 2022, the agency will adopt its Covid-19 community levels. The Community Levels replaced an old map that colored coded counties based on the rate of new infections each week and what percentage of Covid-19 test results were positive.
The Community Levels now focus on hospitals, i.e. how many people are being admitted to Covid-19 and the number of beds left. The model took into consideration the rate of new infections per week in an area.
Impact was immediate. On a map, suddenly areas that appeared dark red with high transmission became yellow or green. Masks are no longer recommended in large areas of the United States under the new CDC system.
Source: The source stated that the change in metrics is a necessity.
After the end of the Public Health Emergency, health departments will no longer be required to provide Covid-19 cases numbers to the CDC. This will remove its ability to track this metric.
The person stated that'some of the metrics cannot be sustained due to the changes in data reporting'.