U.S. Covid-19 Cases Top 7-Day Average Of 100,000 For First Time Since February

Topline

The seven-day common of recent Covid-19 instances rose above 100,000 Saturday for the primary time since February 18, in keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, with a number of subvariants of omicron accounting for almost all new instances.

Folks stroll previous a Covid testing web site on Could 17, 2022 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Spencer … [+] Platt/Getty Pictures)

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Key Information

The seven-day common of recent instances hit 101,029, according to the CDC, up 42% from two weeks in the past, when native well being authorities reported a mean of 71,099 new instances.

New instances doubled in no less than 7 states and Washington, D.C., previously two weeks, together with Mississippi, which had a 157% enhance in instances.

The CDC warned of excessive ranges of neighborhood transmission in a number of counties in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

Hospitalizations are additionally on the rise, with the seven-day common reaching 3,250 for the week ending Could 17, up 24% from the week prior, according to the CDC.

Large Quantity

50.9%. That’s the proportion of Covid instances within the U.S. that had been attributable to the BA.2 subvariant previously week, according to the CDC. One other subvariant of the omicron pressure, BA.2.12.1, has been on the rise in current weeks and accounted for 47.5% of instances previously week.

Key Background

Although instances have been climbing throughout the nation, native officers have been reluctant to reimpose masks mandates and different measures to cut back the unfold. New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams stated Monday the town is “not on the level of mandating masks” or different restrictions like requiring proof of vaccination, at the same time as the town entered the “excessive” alert degree for the virus on Wednesday. Well being officers within the Bay Space of California additionally issued a statement final week recommending for folks to put on masks and get examined, however didn’t impose any new restrictions. The CDC loosened its masks steerage in February, solely recommending masks for areas that report excessive ranges of extreme instances.

Essential Quote

“As we’re at the moment seeing a gentle rise of instances in components of the nation, we encourage everybody to make use of the menu of instruments we’ve got at this time to stop additional an infection and extreme illness, together with sporting a masks, getting examined, accessing therapies early if contaminated, and getting vaccinated or boosted,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said throughout a press convention Wednesday.