Coronavirus infections are on the rise again. The main reasons for the upward trend are the omicron subvariants, waning immunity from the vaccine and previous infections and lower protective measures like masking or social distancing.
Driving the news: Infections are nearing 100,000 a day as the United States heads into Memorial Day weekend. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, encouraged people to take the relevant safety precautions.
What they’re saying: “As we’re currently seeing a steady rise of cases in parts of the country, we encourage everyone to use the menu of tools we have today to prevent further infection and severe disease, including wearing a mask, getting tested, accessing treatments early if infected and getting vaccinated or boosted,” Walensky said, per The Washington Post.
- There are four omicron variants going around in the U.S., the highly contagious ones being BA.2.12.1. and BA.2.12.
The bigger picture: This news comes as the U.S. surpassed 1 million in COVID-19 related deaths. Hospitalizations are currently up 27% nationwide in the last two weeks, with the highest rates seen in Hawaii, followed by Iowa, Montana, Wisconsin, Alaska, Virginia and Michigan.
Worth noting: While there has been a rise in cases in every state, 1 in 3 Americans say that the pandemic is over, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll.