RALEIGH, N.C. – Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced the U.S. is in a transitional phase of the pandemic, due to lower case counts, hospitalizations and deaths.

North Carolina’s state health director and chief medical officer for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Elizabeth Tilson, agrees.

“Last month, we actually put out our Moving Forward Together plan…” Tilson said. “We have a lot more tools for everybody. So, we have vaccines, testing, treatment, we have a lot more immunity out in our population.”

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study that found nearly six out of every 10 Americans have been infected with COVID-19. 

You can track North Carolina’s COVID-19 metrics on its updated dashboard, which features case counts, deaths, hospitalizations and much more. 

“Our dashboard looks at what variants are on the horizon, because things may change,” Tilson said. “One thing COVID has told us is that it is a very smart virus and we have to be aware of what might be on the horizon.”

With the summer months approaching, Tilson recommended these three tips to stay safe:

• Get vaccinated and boosted, if you’re eligible
• Have a supply of tests at home
• If you’re at high risk for complications, have a plan to get readily available treatment

“We absolutely want people back to the people they love, the places they love, doing all of those things over the summer. We absolutely want that and people to get back to those places that they need,” Tilson said. “But, they have to think through how can they do that and then lowering the risk for themselves and their loved ones.”