Washington, June 14 (RHC)-- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, cautioned that the "blips" of rising coronavirus hospitalisations being reported by some states could get out of control if robust contact-tracing regimes are not put in place.

About half a dozen U.S. states are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds, with Texas and North Carolina reporting on their highest hospitalisation rates since the pandemic began. 

Fauci, in an interview with CNN, underscored that increased hospitalisations were a worrying trend and a sign that "maybe we need to slow down a little" on reopenings.  "When you start seeing more hospitalisations, that's a sure fire sign that you're in a situation where you're going in the wrong direction," he said.