East Coast COVID-19 cases on the rise
BA.2 accounts for nearly 86% of U.S. COVID-19 cases
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As sub-variants of omicron continue to spread in the U.S. and abroad, infections are rising in East Coast states and cities.
There were 54,543 new cases in the US. in the past day, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There were also 778 new deaths.
12,736 of those infections were in New York, Virginia reported nearly 1,100, 775 were in Maryland and the COVID-19 level in the District of Columbia was raised to "Medium" at the beginning of the month.
Reports in the nation's capital showed people who visited – or ate dinner – there tested positive for the coronavirus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Capitol reflected in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
D.C. health officials no longer publish daily COVID-19 data.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highly transmissible BA.2 accounts for nearly 86% of U.S. coronavirus cases.
Mask-wearing is at its lowest level since April 2020 and for every 100 infections Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, told The Associated Press that seven are recorded in official tallies.
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That means cities like New York that are averaging 1,600 daily cases likely have a much higher number of infections.
In the Big Apple, the COVID-19 alert level was shown as "Low."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For now, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are still trending down nationally.
Experts advise residents to take the same precautions as before, including staying up to date with vaccinations and masking.
A mask mandate on public transit has been extended by the CDC, despite protests from airlines.
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"If cases start going up in your community, think about assessing your risk level," Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, advised last week. "If you stopped masking and stopped worrying about distancing and things ... that’s the time to reinstitute those protective measures."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.