Fox News Flash top headlines for February 9
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Pacific Northwest are reportedly declining, as case numbers continue to fall.
In Washington state, authorities have reported 1,635 hospitalizations this week compared with 1,958 at the beginning of the month.
MORE STATES REPORT DROP IN COVID-19 CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS
In mid-January, the state reported a seven-day average of around 19,000 infections per day and about 16,365 at the end of the month.
The Seattle Times reports that public health officials in King County are counting about 1,428 infections per day.
That number is approximately a 50% drop from the past week.
Kristin Travis, a community outreach doula, holds a home COVID-19 test kit Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, while picking up supplies at Open Arms Perinatal Services before going out to visit some of her clients in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
In addition, there are now about 30 hospitalizations there, roughly a 33% drop since the previous week.
However, deaths are still high, with 25 to 30 daily throughout the state.
"We really don’t want people to rip off their masks or go to big parties quite yet — COVID activity remains a threat," Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association, told reporters on Tuesday.
CDC DIRECTOR: STUDIES YET TO SHOW BA.2 SUB-VARIANT EVADING CURRENT VACCINES MORE THAN OMICRON
In Oregon, the Oregon Health & Science University forecast last week that the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 there would peak over the weekend and recede to pre-omicron levels by the end of next month.
On Tuesday, Oregon Live said that health officials reported 3,248 new cases, which continued a general downward case trend over the past two weeks.
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has also headed on a similar trajectory.
Oregon is one of several states that have announced plans to end statewide school mask mandates by the end of February or March.
Since mid-January, Oregon Health Authority data shows that 100% of positive test results have been of the omicron variant.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Omicron accounts for 99.9% of cases in the U.S.
As the surge of the omicron variant subsides, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported 198,738 new cases and more than 3,200 deaths on Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Health
Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.