Two medical associations request a formal emergency declaration from the federal government

EL PASO, Texas -- A formal emergency declaration from the federal government has been requested by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association want the government to support hospitals and communities amid a surge of pediatric respiratory illnesses.

This comes as influenza and RSV continue to circulate.

In terms of Covid-19, CDC data shows less than five percent of the U.S. population lives in a county considered to have a "high" community level, down from more than a quarter of the population in February. However, over 23,000 people in the U.S. were hospitalized with Covid-19 over the past week.

For the first time in months, the CDC predicts Covid-19 hospitalizations will likely increase in the coming weeks.