U.S. reports over 10,000 coronavirus variants infections as experts warn of another COVID-19 surge (2)

People holding take-away food walk past a restaurant on a business street in San Mateo, California, the United States, March 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Despite the drop of new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations for weeks, now the country has seen a rise in new cases in 27 states.

Currently the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases is about 61,000 cases a day, a 10 percent increase over the previous period, according to the CDC.

The current seven-day average of daily new hospitalizations is about 4,816 people, a 4.2 percent increase over the previous week, CDC data show.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Monday she feels a sense of "impending doom" about another surge in COVID-19 cases as infections increased by 10 percent.

Walensky said CDC data show that new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing, which she attributed to increased travel in recent weeks, lifting restrictions, and more relaxed behavior.

"I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom. We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope. But right now, I'm scared," Walensky said during a White House briefing.

Public health officials said protective measures like mask use, physical distancing, hand hygiene and prompt vaccination can help prevent against COVID-19 infections and emerging strains.