confirmed cases increase as testing increases as noted by several. As a matter of fact, we need people to get infected or this will never end. At this point, people with minor symptoms are being tested, which drives up the cases, but since they don't require hospitalization, they are not relevant to the situation.

In the end, the only thing that will save lives, the only goal that matters, is that anyone requiring medical intervention can get it. If that is true, then anyone who can be saved, will be saved. Measuring either infections requiring hospitalization or available treatment slots is where the focus should be.