Dr. Anthony Fauci said Americans "are at the corner" during a White House coronavirus briefing Wednesday.
But the nation's top infectious disease expert clarified, "Whether or not we are going to be turning the corner remains to be seen," according to The Associated Press.
Fauci's hesitance stems from a still-high number of new daily cases of coronavirus. The average cases are about 55,000 and up slightly in recent days, the outlet reports.
The daily cases are down from the 250,000 seen during the height of the pandemic during winter, but not far from rates witnessed during last summer's peak.
“When you are at that level, I don’t think you can declare victory and say you have turned the corner,” Fauci added.
This comes as the U.S. has administered 130 million vaccines so far, as reported by the CDC.
Fauci's disclaimer is consistent with recent similar moments of publicly exercised caution in which he's said it's too early to declare a victory and warned of another possible infectious surge.
Earlier this month, the nation's top infectious disease expert reflected on what he has learned about the virus a year out.
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