U.S.: Half of the states are seeing COVID case numbers rise again while nationwide totals continue to fall.

COVID cases rise again in half the states While case numbers for the U.S. as a whole are still dropping, a growing number of states have seen their own numbers being to rise again. Tina Reed,Kavya Beheraj Axios

...(graphics)

Half of the states are seeing COVID case numbers rise again while nationwide totals continue to fall.

The big picture: The Omicron subvariant known as BA.2 is the dominant strain circulating around the U.S., accounting for almost three out of every four cases.

• As in-person gatherings have begun again, COVID has sickened a number of Washington A-listers, reminding everyone — yet again — we're not out of the woods with this pandemic.

Overall, cases dropped 5% across the U.S. to an average of about 28,700 cases from an average of more than 30,000 cases two weeks ago.

• Three states — Alaska, Vermont and Rhode Island — had more than 20 new cases per 100,000 people.
• Nine states — Utah, Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Louisiana, Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana and Tennessee — had three or fewer new cases per 100,000 people.

Deaths fell to an average of 600 a day, down 34% from just over 900 a day two weeks ago.

While U.S. officials have said they aren't expecting a significant rise in hospitalizations or deaths, there have been signs of hospitalizations rising among older individuals in the U.K., the Guardian reported.  ...

• Since those numbers lag behind new cases, we won't have a clear view of that impact in the U.S. for a few weeks. ...

ALSO SEE: US likely to see a surge of Covid-19 in the fall, Fauci says