Nationally, the seven-day daily average of new confirmed cases was just under 66,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is still a startlingly high number of infections, but it's the lowest it has been in the US in 10 days.
The trend can be seen more clearly in new case totals in Arizona, Texas and Florida. In these states, which reopened without effective safety protocols and saw out-of-control case spread over the past two months, new cases have flattened or slightly decreased recently.
The flattening trends generally coincide with decisions made by states last month to roll back reopenings and close bars, which had been hotbeds of coronavirus spread, particularly among young people. Texas also instituted a mask-wearing requirement in early July.
It's too early to say whether these trends will last. Across the country, 22 states saw increases in new cases over the past week compared to the week prior, 20 states have been steady, and eight states saw decreases.
White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said Friday there was evidence of plateau in several major states.
Speaking on NBC's "Today" show, Birx said, "We're already starting to see some plateauing in these critical four states that have suffered under the last four weeks. So Texas, California, Arizona and Florida, those major metros and throughout their counties."
Despite the possible plateau, the national seven-day average of deaths, which generally trails weeks behind cases and hospitalizations, is starting to increase.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average of hospitalizations remains at a level on par with April and has not increased substantially in the past week. However, the Covid Tracking Project, which CNN uses for hospitalization numbers, has inicated some states are seeing issues related to the CDC-HHS handover, which may be keeping hospital numbers down. Hospital data on coronavirus patients is now going to the Trump administration instead of first being sent to the CDC.
Mask-wearing remains point of contention
As officials work to slow its rampant spread, face coverings remain a point of contention with some local authorities declining to enforce mandates.
In Indiana, where a statewide mask order went into effect Monday morning, sheriffs in at least four counties said they wouldn't enforce the mandate, according to CNN affiliate WXIN.
And in Ohio, where the governor issued a statewide mask order last week, one sheriff already said earlier this month he wouldn't be enforcing any sort of mandate, according to CNN affiliate WLWT.
"I can tell you this -- I am not the mask police. I am not going to enforce any mask-wearing. That is not my responsibility. That is not my job. People should be able to make those choices themselves," said Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
Police in Miami, Florida -- what experts call the country's coronavirus epicenter -- issued more than 300 citations in 10 days to individuals and businesses that
