COVID-19 updates: US daily death average falls below 2,000 for 1st time in month

As of Friday, the U.S. was seeing an average of 103,000 new COVID-19 cases per day -- the lowest point since early December, according to federal data.

But 97% of U.S. counties are still reporting high or substantial transmission. Experts stress that case data should be used with caution as some states are beginning to end regular data reporting. Also many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals are likely be higher than reported.

The U.S. now has 57,000 COVID-19-positive patients in hospitals -- a major drop from mid-January when 160,000 people were hospitalized, according to federal data.

Last week the U.S. daily death average fell below 2,000 for the first time in nearly one month. Since last week, the national daily death average has dropped by 15.3%, falling to around 1,920 deaths per day, according to federal data.

However, it's still important to note that thousands of Americans are still losing their lives every day. Thirteen states are reporting daily death rates increasing by at least of 10%: Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

New data shows the omicron variant and its sublineages are estimated to account for 100% of new infections. The omicron variant now has three major sublineages: BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3.  

The "original" omicron variant that overtook the globe in November now accounts for 20.6% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The closely-related sublineage BA.1.1 has been the dominant strain since early January and is estimated to account for 75.6% of new cases.

The CDC estimates that as of Feb. 19, BA.2 accounts for about 3.8% of new cases in the U.S.

The World Health Organization has asked countries to monitor the BA.2 sublineage to see whether it behaves differently. At this time experts don't expect BA.2 to lead to another surge, but some are worried that it may slow the current drop in new cases.

BA.3 accounts for a very small proportion of new cases.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman

Asked if Americans should follow the CDC's mask guidance or their state or city's rules, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Monday, "We still recommend indoor masking in public settings that have areas of high transmission … and right now that's over 98% of our counties."

But case are "dropping fast," Walensky told Andy Slavitt, former senior adviser to the Biden administration's COVID response team, on his podcast "In the Bubble."

"We are working to update our guidance soon," Walensky said.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

Carnival has joined Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in easing mask mandates onboard cruises, announcing that masks will be recommended, but not required beginning March 1.

Norwegian previously announced it will drop its mask requirement for vaccinated passengers starting March 1. Royal Caribbean said it will reopen indoor mask-free areas for fully vaccinated travelers on Feb. 14.

-ABC News' Mina Kaji