The number of new Covid-19 cases in New York appears to be stabilizing, sparking hope among officials that the disease may finally be near its peak in the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic. But health experts caution that the public needs to be clear on what that prospect means.

Officials track numerous data points related to the new coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, from daily intubations to deaths. A key figure is the number of new hospitalizations, which can overwhelm health-care systems if they exceed capacity.

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