US Daily Average COVID-19 Cases Reach 650,000

More than Triple Increase in Two Weeks... Many Cases in Northeast Regions like New York and New Jersey
California Deploys National Guard Due to Medical Staff Shortage

[Asia Economy International Department Reporter] The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading explosively, with the United States reporting an average of 650,000 new COVID-19 cases per day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to data compiled by The New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), the 7-day average of daily new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of the 7th was 648,211. This marks a 3.28-fold increase compared to two weeks ago, setting a new record for average daily new cases.

NYT reported that new cases are rising nationwide, especially in the Northeast states such as New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, where many infections are occurring.

Hospitalizations and death counts, which are lagging indicators that follow trends in case increases or decreases by 2 to 3 weeks, are also rising. The average daily number of hospitalized patients exceeded 120,000 (121,599), a 72% increase from two weeks ago, and the average daily deaths rose by 11% to 1,499.

CNN cited data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reporting that as of the 7th, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. reached nearly 132,000, a figure close to the pandemic peak of 142,200 in mid-January last year.

CNN also reported that the surge in cases is causing a shortage of medical personnel. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on the night of the 7th that about 200 members of the state National Guard would be deployed to various COVID-19 testing sites.

Dr. Samer Antonios of Ascension Via Christi Health in Kansas, where the governor declared a disaster emergency, described the current situation as "a real viral blizzard" because of the large number of infections.

Additionally, Tyson Bell, director of the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Hospital, stated that due to staff infected and quarantined or exhausted and having quit, the U.S. is unable to provide the same level of medical services to 130,000 patients as it did last year.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul mandated on the 7th that all healthcare workers must receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot within two weeks. New York State had previously mandated vaccination for healthcare workers in September last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.