News
Covid-19 cases spike
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the number of Covid-19 cases and the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations have both risen over the past week.
According to the CDC, 817 cases were reported over the past seven days, up from 624 cases over the previous week, while the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus-related illnesses increased by just over 30%.
The CDC says the coronavirus-related death toll remains stable and people aged 65 or over accounted for 90% of the 40 new fatalities.
Health officials say the number of cases will likely continue to climb for the remainder of this month before reaching a plateau by mid-July before gradually declining in August and September. Data shows the JN.1 strain remains the most prominent comprising 62% of the local infections and 47% of imported cases.
The CDC is stressing the need for people to get vaccinated against the disease, especially the elderly and those with underlying illnesses. According to the CDC, there was a 61% increase in the number of people receiving XBB variant shots last week, bringing the national vaccination rate for that variant to 11.47%.
