As the United States enters into an uncertain new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic amid controversies about political meddling in the federal response, the nation's leading health officials today told lawmakers that the country is making some progress against the coronavirus, but they urged Americans to continue mitigation efforts as they await a vaccine.At a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the number of new COVID cases in the country is down since the post–Memorial Day peaks, while the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has fallen 54% and the number of COVID-associated deaths