Walenski CDC US
Rochelle Walensky, now director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
  • The head of the CDC warned of a COVID-19 surge over Spring Break.
  • The US had more air travelers Friday than on any other day in the past year.
  • "All in the context of 50,000 [new COVID-19] cases per day," Rochelle Walensky said.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said she was "pleading for the sake of the nation's health," after more than 1.3 million Americans traveled by air on Friday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.

"This is all in the context of still 50,000 cases per day," Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said in a press briefing Monday.

Some Americans enjoyed Spring Break "maskless," she said.

Her comments came after the Transportation Security Administration recorded more than 1.3 million Americans going through airport security screening on Friday.

The average number of new cases in the US dropped below 50,000 for the first time since October 2020 last week. The current figure is more than 53,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Walensky said that the US was just starting "to turn a corner," with the data moving in the "right direction." She said that where it goes from now was dependent on what people did to protect themselves and others, including following public health precautions and getting a vaccine when offered.

"I'm pleading with you for the sake of our nation's health. These should be warning signs for all of us," Walensky said.

"Cases climbed last spring. They climbed again in the summer. They will climb now if we stop taking precautions."

The US has recorded more than 29 million reported cases overall and more than 535,000 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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