By JOSH RESNEK
The CDC is warning of “impending doom” if Americans think the virus is over.
Some states have relaxed all their restrictions and that policy is coming back to haunt them.
In Everett, more than 100 new cases were reported last week.
Social distancing and higher health standards augmented by continuing restrictions seem to be taming the monster virus.
Nationally and locally, vaccinations have soared. More than 1/3 of the American population has been vaccinated.
Many millions of people think the danger is over because the worst has passed.
Think again.
Airplane travel is up. It is almost back to half of what it was one year ago meaning about 1.5 million people took air flights daily here and there across the nation during the past week.
With airplanes up, new infections will rise and be spread.
International travel remains dead.
London-Boston routes are virtually non-existent.
Tourist travel to Boston remains deep in the dumps, with dozens of hotels out of business and restaurants, too.
Downtown office buildings remain largely vacant as employees tend to work from home.
The warmer weather and college and school vacation week have caused huge crowds all over the nation to assemble and for the virus to get a free ride infecting thousands more at a crucial moment when we should be careful.
New infections have risen to about 70,000 a day in the nation.
New deaths have fallen. About 500 people a day continue to die from the virus, although the CDC reported more than 700 deaths Monday.
In Everett and our surrounding cities and towns, the numbers are rising again.
The fear is that a massive letting down of the guard is going to lead to another spike and the re-imposition of restrictions.
It is not entirely unlikely public schools just opening up might be closed down again.
However, that remains uncertain and difficult to call.
Here in Everett infections have risen again. They are heading in the wrong direction.
They do not resemble what they were at the height of the last spike.
The CDC is worried about a fourth spike.
We should all be worried about this.