That shifted this week as a steady increase in cases -- eerily reminiscent of the last three surges -- took hold, worrying administration officials who fear a backslide. For a White House whose political future rests almost entirely on an ability to successfully navigate an end to the generational health crisis, there is perhaps no more important issue than returning the country to normal. Slavitt said the President and the White House expected cases would eventually rise again before the US reached vaccine-induced herd immunity. White House officials say they have been preparing for those unknowns, tracking leading indicators like test positivity rates and emergency room visits as well as vaccination rates by region and demographic. Speaking to US governors on a weekly conference call following Walensky's warning, administration officials reiterated their concerns about reopening too quickly, people familiar with the call said.

Source: CNN April 03, 2021 12:56 UTC