(CNN) The United States surgeon general said Sunday that he thinks the coronavirus outbreak is being contained in certain areas of the country as cases of the virus rise across the United States.

"If we had massive numbers of cases we would be seeing more deaths. And so we actually feel pretty good that some parts of the country have contained it just like when you look at the flu," Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." His comments come as the number of cases in the US has increased to more than 550 with at least 21 deaths.

Adams continued Sunday, saying: "And when we look at the flu tracker, some parts of the country are having much more severe flu seasons. Some are having very mild flu seasons. The same thing for coronavirus."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on "Fox News Sunday" that the passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship , currently quarantined off the coast of California, should "absolutely not" be left on the ship.

President Donald Trump on Friday said that he did not want the passengers getting off the ship, but he did add that he would leave the final decision up to his advisers. The Department of Health and Human Services announced Sunday that the passengers will be transferred to federal military installations after the ship docks on Monday.

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