The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to stop tracking the spread of Covid in communities across the U.S., the agency said Friday.
Moving forward, the CDC is expected to rely more heavily on Covid-related hospitalizations, according to two people familiar with the plans — much like it does to track the spread of the flu.
The agency has been using a color-coded system since February 2022 to indicate high, medium or low transmission of Covid, county by county.
But as reported cases have steadily fallen and availability of rapid, at-home tests has risen, it has become difficult to get an accurate view of how much virus is circulating.
The CDC is expected to announce the new tracking system within the coming weeks. The news was first reported by CNN.
The CDC said the move away from tracking community level transmission is tied to the May 11 expiration of the national public health emergency.
“With the end of the public health emergency, CDC will no longer get the same data. We are working to update the measure used to convey the risk of Covid-19 in communities based on data that will be available,” a CDC spokesperson wrote in an email. “Our priority remains providing the information necessary to protect the nation’s public health.”
Even in areas with low levels of spread, the CDC recommends staying up to date with Covid vaccinations. Last week, the agency signed off on a second round of booster shots for people ages 65 and older.
According to the CDC’s tracker, the average number of weekly cases has been falling steadily since early January. As of April 26, the weekly average was 88,330 cases.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com