New York, Apr 29 (IANS): A conference to track the Covid-19 progress in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), last week, has left many attendees infected with the disease, according to a media report.

The CDC's annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference was held between April 24-27 in Atlanta. The conference for the disease detectives deployed to identify and fight outbreaks in the country, was open to the common public and, as per officials, drew about 2,000 people.

"We're letting you know that several people who attended the (Epidemic Intelligence Service) Conference have tested positive for Covid-19," a CDC branch chief wrote in an email to staff on Friday and obtained by The Washington Post.

It added that at least one person at the division's recruiting event had tested positive.

This comes even as the US is seeing a fresh surge in Covid cases. Data from the CDC shows Omicron sub variant XBB.1.16 was responsible for nearly 12 per cent of new Covid cases this week.

Last week, 7 per cent new infections were reported due to the subvariant and nearly 5 per cent the week before that.

While the CDC was "aware" of several confirmed cases that could be connected to the conference, it said they "should not be referred to as an 'outbreak'," an agency official told The Post.

"These cases are reflective of general spread in the community. It's not news that public health employees can get Covid-19," CDC's Kristen Nordlund wrote in an email.

The potential cases were also announced in the closing session of the conference, he said. Further, the conference leaders cancelled an in-person training, emailed all officers with current CDC guidance and offered to extend the hotel stays of sick attendees who needed to be isolated, the report said.

While the risks of Covid have declined in the US, due to vaccines and prior infections, the virus remains the leading cause of death in the country.

Meanwhile, the Joe Biden administration aims to formally end the three-year-old public health emergency for the virus on May 11.