CDC director: Hospitals âreaching capacity in some areasâ as COVID-19 cases rise By Austin Williams CDC director says US reaching another pivotal moment in pandemic CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on July 22, 2021, said the U.S. is reaching another pivotal moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, noting an increase in cases and some hospitals reaching capacity in areas of low vaccination rates. WASHINGTON - Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Thursday said she worries the rise in cases could soon overwhelm the nation’s health care system. "We are yet at another pivotal moment in this pandemic, with cases rising again and some hospitals reaching their capacity in some areas," Walensky said during a White House coronavirus press briefing on Thursday.