Cases are rising — again

Hospitalizations are rising as the US braces for another coronavirus wave; refugees from Myanmar are looking to Thailand for help.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. TOP NEWS A fourth wave? Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Across the nation, the seven-day coronavirus case average has increased by 12 percent from last week, reaching its highest point in nearly a month and bringing evidence of a fourth wave of infections. [The Washington Post / Erin Cunningham and Marisa Iati] Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that increased travel in recent weeks could lead to similar case surges seen over the winter and last summer. [CNN / Christina Maxouris and Holly Yan] Walensky also said travel patterns, including spring breaks, and case counts, have given her a "recurring feeling of impending doom", though she added that the vaccine campaign has given her a lot of hope. [The Hill / Dominick Mastrangelo] Dr. Anthony Fauci said while the new British variant is partly to blame, the easing of restrictions that have allowed for mass spring break gatherings as well as increased indoor dining are facilitating spread. [The New York Times / Apoorva Mandavilli] Health experts are now calling the situation a race between vaccines and variants, though they also stressed continued social distancing and mask-wearing will be critical. [NPR / Pien Huang] Walensky, Fauci, and others are pleading with people to balance their optimism about vaccines and the impending end of the pandemic with continued caution. Some states have removed mask mandates. Others, including Michigan, New York, and New Jersey, are seeing cases and hospitalizations rise. [Axios / Marisa Fernandez] Twenty-five states have seen hospitalizations related to the coronavirus rise over the past week, most dramatically in Michigan and South Dakota. Two-thirds of coronavirus patients are now under 65; 72 percent of seniors have received at least one vaccine dose. [Bloomberg / Jonathan Levin] Myanmar refugees look to Thailand for help As the ruling military regime in Myanmar has escalated its violent crackdown against pro-democracy protestors and ethnic minorities, launching airstrikes and killing over 100 people over the weekend, refugees are fleeing to neighboring Thailand. [The Guardian / Jacob Goldberg] Three thousand people are estimated to have fled from eastern Myanmar to the Thai border, mostly of the Karen ethnic minority. The military has been bombing the state of Karen. An additional 700 have fled to northeastern India. [The Financial Times / John Reed and Amy Kazmin] But activist groups and nongovernmental organizations say Thailand has rebuffed the refugees, who are now hiding in jungles on the border. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said his government did not want refugees and asked them to return home, though he said he is willing to shelter them temporarily. [CNN / Kocha Olarn and Helen Regan] The Thai government has denied turning away refugees. However, a local official confessed to blocking them at the border and denying them aid from outside groups. [Reuters / Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat] Since the February coup in which they took power, Myanmar's military has killed over 500 people and detained over 2,500. [The Associated Press / Tassanee Vejpongsa] MISCELLANEOUS Pregnant people are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccines in 40 states as evidence shows they are safe during pregnancy. [Vox / Katherine Harmon Courage] A group of LGBTQ students at federally funded religious colleges filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for discrimation they faced at college, hoping to challenge their religious exemptions and influence negotiations over the Equality Act. [The Washington Post / Michelle Boorstein] Amazon's request to install a video camera to monitor its workers in Bessemer, Alabama, as they cast unionization votes was denied by the National Labor Relations Board. [CNBC / Annie Palmer] UConn reached the Final Four in the NCAA Women's Tournament after a controversial non-foul call ended Baylor's chance to tie the game with seconds left to play. [CBS Sports / Shanna McCarriston] Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. Contribute VERBATIM "We're just almost there, but not quite yet. And so I'm asking you to just hold on a little longer to get vaccinated when you can, so that all of those people that we all love will still be here when this pandemic ends." [CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, on how Americans need to remain vigilant regarding coronavirus protocols] WATCH THIS   Glad You Asked is back for a new season this week. Over five episodes, we turn a lens on how racial injustice impacts our everyday lives. But first, we need to examine our own biases and the role they play. How do we measure them? How do those biases relate to racism as a whole? And, most importantly, what can we do about it? Watch episode one now on YouTube. Read more from Vox   The year of the billionaire   Joe Biden is stretching Obamacare as far as it can go   The best $15 I ever spent: the compression socks that became my pandemic uniform   Lil Nas X's evil gay Satanic agenda, explained   How racist am I? Facebook Twitter YouTube This email was sent to milburnkennedy@hotmail.com. 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