US COVID-19 indicators continued an upward trend last week, with some states seeing increases in emergency department visits and test positivity. According to the CDC, emergency department visits rose 4.8% nationally, mainly among children under 5 years old. Test positivity also increased slightly to 5.3%, highest in the Southwest and South regions.
Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 detections remained low, with high levels reported in the West, particularly in Louisiana and Florida. The CDC has not updated its variant proportion estimates since June due to limited sequencing data, but predictions suggest the XFG variant is circulating.
Hawaii’s COVID activity has also seen a recent surge. After a period of relative stability, cases are now rising again, with test-positivity rates reaching 12.4% as of July 17. Officials have urged residents to take precautions, including vaccination, staying home when sick, and masking.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/us-covid-levels-continue-slight-upward-trend