Category: Covid-19

COVID-19 metrics increase,prompting Health and Human Services Board to discussface coverings

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC Locally, COVID-19 cases are increasing, and at todays meeting, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Board voted to discuss and revisit the face coverings health rule for indoor public places and will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 8 a.m.

New Hanover Countyspercent positivityrateis currently 6.7percent, and 592new cases of COVID-19 have been reported over the last 14 days for an average of42.3cases per day. This is an increase since before Thanksgiving, when the percent positivity rate was 2.7 percent and there was an average of 14.5 new cases over the last 14 days. This continued increase is what prompted the board to schedule the public hearing and discussion.

The Health and Human Services Board is going to discuss COVID-19 metricsandtrends, data compared to last year at this time, and other statistical analysis as it relates to where we are in thepandemicafter the new yearand whether we need to reinstate our face coverings health rule, said Health and Human Services Board Chair Dr.LeShondaWallace.This is a proactive conversation that the board plans to have,given our current increases in case countsandhospitalizationsand the rapid spread Omicron,to see where we are and if additional protective measures like face coverings are needed.TheOmicron and Deltavariants are actively circulating,soweencourageour communitytomake good choices over the holidays and wearface coveringswhen in crowded spacesandget tested if you plan to visit family. The more we can do proactively, the better we will all be.

The board also voted to form a subcommittee to work with staff, including thenewly formedPandemic Operations Team, to develop a clear methodology of statistical analysis, including hospital, CDCand NCDHHS data, in order to make a data-informed decision related to the face coverings health rule and other protective measures related to the pandemic.

TheJanuary 18 publichearing will be an opportunity for the board to reviewcurrentdata, receive comments from the public, and determine whether the previously implemented health rule that requiresface coverings in all indoor public places within New Hanover County should be reinstated. The previous health rule that will be considered can beviewed here.

Themeetingwill be held in the multipurpose room ofthe Health and Human Services building,located at 1650 Greenfield Street in Wilmington.In addition, the public mayview the meeting live atNHCTV.com,youtube.com/NewHanoverCoand Spectrum Cable channel 13; or listen to the meetingby dialing415-655-0003andwhen promptedfor a meeting ID, press808 594 284, then the pound sign (#).

Comments can be submittedin advance of the January meetingonline herethroughnoononFriday, January 14. The public can also attend the public hearing in person and speak about the proposed rule on January 18 at 8 a.m. Comments must be limited to 3 minutes each and a total of 45 minutes will be allotted for public comments during the hearing, which is in keeping with HHS Board operating procedures.

Based on statute, at least 10 days notice must be given in advance of any board action on a health rule, so the HHS Board voted to be proactive in order to discuss and potentiallytake actionon the rule at its next meeting.

Being vigilant this holiday season is important in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the community.Foranyone who has been exposed to someone with COVID or is showing symptoms related to COVID, testing resources, including a list of testing sites, can be foundhere. Additionally, information on self-testing can be foundon the CDCs website here.

As a reminder, the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Vaccination Clinics at 1650 Greenfield Street and Independence Mall will be closed December 23-27. Both vaccination clinics will reopen on December 28. The clinics will also be closed on December 31 and reopen on January 3 forregular operating hours.

Appointments to receive a vaccine at the HHS clinics are highly recommended and can be made by visitingTakeMyShot.NC.gov.

View additional COVID-19 information and dataatHealth.NHCgov.com.

###

Back to news overview

Read the original post:

COVID-19 metrics increase, prompting Health and Human Services Board to discuss face coverings - Communications and Outreach - Communications and...

The Technical Advisory Group for Emergency Use Listing listed Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine against COVID-19 and Covovax (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine against COVID-19 for emergency use on 20 December 2021 and 17 December 2021 respectively.

The Novavax vaccine will be manufactured in two different facilities. In Europe, the vaccine will be manufactured under the trade name Nuvaxovid and has been approved by the European Medicines Agency, and in India, the vaccine will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India under the trade name Covovax and has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India.

TheWHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) has issuedinterim policy recommendationsfor the use of the Novavax (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine.This article provides a summary of those interim recommendations.

For the purposes of this article, the vaccine will be referred to as Novavax (NVX-CoV2373).

The background documents are also availablehere.

Where COVID-19 vaccine supplies are limited, priority should go to health workers at high risk of exposure and older people.

Countries can refer to theWHO Prioritization Roadmap and theWHO Values Frameworkfor guidance.

The vaccine is not recommended for people younger than 18 years of age. Safety and immunogenicity data for under-18s are currently being generated but until such data are sufficiently available and can be further reviewed, vaccination of individuals in this age group is not recommended.

Data regarding the safety and efficacy of the use of Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)vaccine in pregnant women is not yet available. However, based on previous evidence from other protein-based vaccines during pregnancy, efficacy is expected to be comparable to non-pregnant women of a similar age.

WHO recommends the use of the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant women when the benefits of vaccination to the pregnant woman outweigh the potential risks. To help pregnant women make this assessment, they should be provided with information about the risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy, the likely benefits of vaccination in the local epidemiological context, and the current limitations of safety data in pregnant women. WHO does not recommend pregnancy testing prior to vaccination. WHO does not recommend delaying pregnancy or terminating pregnancy because of vaccination.

Vaccination is recommended for people living with conditions that have been identified as increasing the risk of severe COVID-19, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, liver disease, obesity and neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

The vaccine can be offered to people who have had COVID-19 in the past. Available data shows that symptomatic reinfection from the same variant is unlikely for up to 6 months after infection. Those with documented infection may therefore choose to delay vaccination to nearer the end of this period, especially when vaccine supply is limited, to allow others priority for vaccination.

WHO recommends the same use of Novavax (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine in breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women. Data are not available on the potential benefits or possible risks of the Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)vaccine to breastfed children. However, as Novavax (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine is not a live virus vaccine, it is biologically and clinically unlikely to pose a risk to the breastfeeding child. WHO does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding because of vaccination.

Persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or who are immunocompromised are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. There are not enough data at present to allow assessment of the efficacy or safety of this vaccine for people living with HIV. It is possible that the immune response to the vaccine may be reduced, which could lower its clinical effectiveness. In the interim, however, given that the vaccine is nonreplicating, people living with HIV that is well controlled may be vaccinated with the standard primary series of 2 doses, when part of a group prioritized for vaccination.

Individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to any component of the vaccine should not take it.

Persons with acute PCR-confirmed COVID-19 should not be vaccinated until after they have recovered from acute illness and the criteria for ending isolation have been met.

Anyone with a body temperature over 38.5C should postpone vaccination until they no longer have a fever.

Most children and adolescents are at very low risk of severe COVID-19. Safety and immunogenicity data are currently being generated for those aged under 18 years. Until this data are available, vaccination of persons under the age of 18 is not recommended.

SAGE recommends the use of the Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)vaccine as 2 doses (0.5 ml) given intramuscularly. The two doses should be administered with an interval of 3-4 weeks.

SAGE recommends that severe and moderately immunocompromised persons should be offered an additional dose of vaccine. This is due to the fact that this group is less likely to respond adequately to vaccination following a standard primary vaccination series and are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease.

SAGE accepts two heterologous doses of WHO EUL COVID-19 vaccines as a complete primary series. However, there is limited evidence available on the use of Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)in a heterologous schedule.

It is impossible to compare vaccine head-to-head due to the different approaches taken in designing the respective studies, but overall, all of the vaccines that have achieved WHO Emergency Use Listing are highly effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalization due to COVID-19.

SAGE has thoroughly assessed the data on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and has recommended its use for people aged 18 and above. The WHO EUL process also evaluates the quality of manufacturing along with safety and efficacy.

Safety data is currently limited for persons above 65 years of age (due to the small number of participants of this age group in clinical trials). However, the trial data indicate that the vaccine has an acceptable safety profile for this age group and WHO recommends the vaccine for use in persons aged 65 years and over.

The efficacy of Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)has been assessed in three Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials. Of the two Phase 3 trials, both found that the efficacy of the vaccine against mild, moderate, and severe disease is 90%.

In a Phase 3 study conducted in the USA and Mexico during a period in which multiple variants (Alpha, Beta and Delta) were in circulation, vaccine efficacy against mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19 was 90%

In view of these findings, WHO recommends the use of Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)vaccine according to the WHO Prioritization Roadmap, even if currently recognized Variants of Concern (VOC) are present in the country. If new VOCs emerge for which vaccine performance is compromised, these recommendations will be updated accordingly. There are insufficient data still for Omicron.

As there is not currently sufficient evidence to date to evaluate the impact of the vaccine on transmission, public health and social measures must continue, including use of face masks, physical distancing, handwashing, appropriate ventilation, and other measures as appropriate in particular settings, depending on the COVID-19 epidemiology and potential risks of emerging variants. Government advice on public health and social measures should continue to be followed by both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. SAGE will update this advice as information on the impact of vaccination on virus transmission and indirect protection is assessed.

See the original post:

The Novavax vaccine against COVID-19: What you need to know - World Health Organization

Boulder, Colo. Tuesdays Kansas mens basketball game against Colorado at CU Events Center was canceled less than two hours before tipoff because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Colorado program.

Fans were turned away from the arena before being let in at about the same time that Colorado announced on its social media platforms that the game had been called off. A statement from Kansas Athletics indicated that the two programs mutually agreed to cancel the game.

Our top priority since the start of the pandemic has been the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff and the community," CU Athletic Director Rick George said in a statement Tuesday night. While were disappointed for our student-athletes and fans to have to cancel the game, both schools agreed this is the best decision.

A Colorado fan sits outside of CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado, trying to figure ...

Photo by Matt Tait

Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters at KUs team hotel in Boulder that none of the Jayhawks were positive as of Tuesday and that he was disappointed but not devastated that the game had been canceled. So, too, Self said, was Colorado coach Tad Boyle, who told Self throughout the day Tuesday that he was still hoping to play.

Tad said, Bill, if we have seven and they say we can play, we want to play, Self said Tuesday evening. But this is not an important game in the big scheme of things. I actually agree totally with the decision that was made. It was their doctors, our doctors, everybody.

Initially, it was just one positive test within the CU program. But after the rest of the CU team was tested, more positive test results surfaced, prompting the cancellation.

Self said the two programs decided earlier Tuesday that they planned to go as long as possible, to try to see if the game could still be played. That meant a drop-dead time of 5:45 p.m. before a final call was required. CUs additional positive test results were in before that time and the game was canceled just after 5 p.m. mountain time, before KU had left the hotel for the arena.

Self said he first heard the official word from Associate Athletic Director Sean Lester and he noted that Boyle was trying to call through while Lester and Self were talking.

According to a statement released by Kansas Athletics, there is no plan to reschedule the game. But Self did not rule out the possibility of KU adding another game to its schedule somewhere down the road to make up for the lost opportunity on Tuesday night.

Self also noted that this was not the first time a college sporting event had been canceled this season and he predicted that it also would not be the last time.

Its going to screw up your conference season, he said. I just hope it doesnt screw it up where it takes away the fans and what makes college basketball so great. Everybody can deal with a weeks pause. I just dont know how itll be (with) reduced capacities and if we start doing all the things we did last year because of whats transpiring.

According to Self, the Jayhawks were not able to get out of town on Tuesday night and were scheduled to stay in Boulder through the night and return home to Kansas on Wednesday. Everyone but senior forward Mitch Lightfoot was scheduled to return to Lawrence with the team and then they would all go their separate ways for the holiday break from there before returning to campus on Dec. 26. Lightfoot road home with his family from Colorado to Phoenix.

Based on Tuesdays practice and what he had seen from his team since last Saturdays close-call victory over Stephen F. Austin, Self said the seventh-ranked Jayhawks (9-1) were looking forward to getting back onto the court.

We were prepared to play today, he said. As poorly as we played Saturday, and as telling as the film was for all the guys, you could tell they were anxious to go play.

The Jayhawks are now scheduled to be off until Dec. 29, when they are scheduled to play host to Harvard in the final game before the start of Big 12 Conference play on Jan. 1.

Self said the Jayhawks would continue to take every precaution possible in the meantime, and he touted the positive impact of vaccines in helping keep the COVID-19 virus under control.

Even though the illness is serious, I think statistics show that those that have been vaccinated carry far less risks than those who have not, Self said. Were going to try to be as precautionary as we can and probably put in some protocols that look similar to last year, but I hope it doesnt feel similar to last year.

The (omicron) variant is going to spread like wildfire. Were all going to get it. The good news is if you are vaccinated and boosted, the symptoms of getting it are very mild compared to those who arent. At least our team is vaccinated and for the most part boosted. I dont know what to do. One positive shouldnt shut you down. But in this situation, multiple positives and theres symptoms more importantly (players) are going home (for the holidays) and there are some individuals who may be a little bit compromised from an immune system standpoint; this was not that important to play this game.

Self also said KU recently decided to cancel its annual holiday clinic, scheduled for next Monday, for this exact reason.

We had 500 (kids) sign up, he said. And if you put athletes around 500 kids theres probably a chance somebody in the groups got COVID. And then one of our guys gets it and you could have to potentially miss guys or miss games.

Read the original:

COVID-19 issue within Colorado hoops program leads to cancelation of KU-CU game in Boulder - KUsports

2:44 PM ET

Greg WyshynskiESPN

The NHL and NHL Players' Association have come to an agreement to not participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic men's hockey tournament in Beijing, multiple sources told ESPN.

The NHL and NHLPA had negotiated Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026 into the newest collective bargaining agreement after NHL players did not participate in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The only caveat for the Beijing Olympics, scheduled for February 2022, was if the current NHL regular season was "materially impacted" by COVID-19 postponements. As of Dec. 21, the NHL has postponed 50 games because of outbreaks on teams and has paused its season through Christmas, apparently meeting that threshold.

The NHL had until Jan. 10 to opt out of Olympic participation without financial penalty and the NHLPA said it expected a decision on participation to be made before that date.

A formal announcement on opting out of the Games is expected within the next 24 hours.

1 Related

Attention will now turn to using the scheduled break for the Olympics -- Feb. 6-22 -- to reschedule games. The NHL All-Star Game is still scheduled for Feb. 5.

Sources said that rescheduling could include currently postponed games or potentially moving up games that are scheduled for later in the season, but there could be a lack of arena availability during the break. While the NHL asked arenas not to book events during the break in case players didn't participate in the Olympics, many buildings booked concerts and other events, seeking to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic.

It's expected there will still be some semblance of a break in the schedule. Predators general manager David Poile told ESPN 102.5 The Game in Nashville that he believed there would be a "compromise" for the amount of time players will have off, with games being crammed into the final week of that break. He also floated the idea that the regular season could be extended by a week.

News of the expected Olympic decision was met with frustration and sadness from players who would have played in the Beijing Games.

"I've been fortunate enough to be part of two [Olympics]," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "I definitely feel for the the guys who have missed numerous opportunities. It's not something where it's the next year or you push it a couple of months. These are experiences of a lifetime that you don't get very many of as an athlete."

Two Winnipeg Jets players who appeared headed for Team USA expressed their regret on Tuesday.

"Yeah, that sucks. I think everyone was looking forward to this," Kyle Connor said. "We made it a big part of our collective bargaining agreement as the players, to bring the Olympics back. Whether it's about different circumstances about going to China with COVID and everything, I think it would have been a great tournament."

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a potential starter for the Americans, was worried about his status for the 2026 Olympics in Italy.

"If the next one's in four years, I'll be 32," he said. "I know I'll be playing my best hockey, but it's going to be a different story."

The Olympic rosters will now be filled by a combination of amateur players and professionals playing in leagues outside of the NHL. That could include North American minor leagues and overseas professional leagues like Russia's KHL. This was the setup for teams in the Pyeongchang Olympics, where the Olympic Athletes from Russia won gold.

Read more here:

Sources - NHL not going to Olympics because of COVID-19 surge - ESPN

ATLANTA As the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to pop up across Georgia, that means that more and more cases are also popping up inside metro hospitals.

As of Tuesday, about 85% of inpatient beds are in use in our state, and 82% of ICU beds are currently full.

The rate of increase of admission of patients with COVID is now exponential, and that is very concerning, said Dr. Robert Jansen, chief medical officer of Grady Memorial Hospital.

Jansen told Channel 2s Lori Wilson that hes seeing more COVID-19 positive patients in his ER a worrying sign of what could be coming.

We have seen a doubling of our patients in the hospital with COVID in the last week, Jansen said.

That rise is due in large part to the now dominant and highly infectious omicron variant that is making its way across the state.

CDC data from this morning shows that (for) the region, that (for) Georgia, 95% of the cases are omicron, Jansen said.

TRENDING STORIES:

Piedmont Healthcare sent Wilson a statement that read in part that, while many of its hospitals are near capacity, we ask all patients who need medical attention to seek care without delay.

Northside Hospital said it has seen a slight increase in COVID-positive patients recently. About 13% of their current patients are COVID-positive.

In the Northeast Georgia Health System, Gainesville is stressed the most, with 19 people waiting for a bed there.

At Grady, the regions only Level 1 trauma center, 60 patients are currently waiting for a bed.

We can talk a lot about whether it is as severe of a disease. Nonetheless, when you have so many people getting infected, the number of people requiring hospitalization is going up significantly, Jansen said.

Jansen said its a numbers game. The more people infected, the more hospitalizations there will be.

And while he said hes seeing more people that are vaccinated in the hospital, he says the majority of those people are patients with serious existing health conditions.

RELATED NEWS:

2021 Cox Media Group

Read this article:

Metro hospitals starting to see increase in COVID-19 cases, available beds decrease - WSB Atlanta

KANSAS CITY, Mo. The surge of COVID-19 cases associated with the omicron variant has many across Kansas City scrambling for COVID-19 tests ahead of holiday gatherings.

There are several testing resources Kansas Citians can access to help line up a drive-thru test.

On the Missouri side, PrepareMetroKC.org has a list of COVID-19 testing by day, including events in Cass County, the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, University Health Lakewood and the Jackson County Health Department.

On the Kansas side, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment maintains an interactive map on its website showing several dozen testing sites.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offers a similar listing of local testing locations.

Many individual county and city health departments also maintain websites offering COVID-19 testing information:

Jackson County, MissouriJohnson County, KansasWyandotte County, KansasKansas City, MissouriClay County, Missouri Cass County, MissouriPlatte County, Missouri Leavenworth County, Kansas

More:

Looking for a COVID-19 test? Heres where to go in Kansas City - KSHB

Join us for Christmas Eve! read the homepage for the District Church in Washington, DC, as the congregation planned to gather for the holiday for the first time since 2019.

The District Church, a multiethnic, nondenominational church in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, had scheduled three in-person services for Friday. But last Sunday, lead pastor Aaron Graham announced that due to the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19, Christmas Eve would be filmed and shared online instead.

We had not planned this, but we just didnt really know who was going to be in town [Christmas] week, and we just had a lot of people gone, said Graham. The District Church had already made plans to briefly go virtual online for the two Sundays following Christmas to give their 20-member staff time to unwind for the Christmas and New Year season.

With cases increasing in DCthe last two days have been higher, we just said, You know what? Let's just pivot online. We can go online and not lose momentum in the church overall. The pandemic taught us that.

Fellow church leaders, especially in major cities where coronavirus cases are taking off, have made similar announcements, while others are weighing the risks as public health officials project record-high cases levels coinciding with holiday travel and gatherings.

This isnt the scenario pastors expected. Months ago, nearly all US churches had finally returned to in-person worship, and countries had lifted church lockdowns. Even as Advent began just four weeks back, the rapid availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots made it seem like this Christmas would be different than last year and churches would be able to celebrate together in person. But then came omicron.

The variant took off earlier in the United Kingdom, with record case loads reported last week. Days ago, Christmas gatherings at two of Londons biggest evangelical churches were rescheduled. Holy Trinity Brompton Church (HTB) and Hillsong Church London postponed their popular carol services. HTB will not be holding in-person or online services for the rest of the year.

Hillsong issued a statement saying that several church staff and volunteers had already tested positive.

The steps we are taking are to help keep our staff, volunteers, you and your families safe, read the statement. We want to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved is our main priority so people can enjoy Christmas together with friends and family.

In most churches, Christmas is one of the best-attended celebrations of the year. Plus, annual festivities like carol services, dinners, pageants, and other celebrations draw big crowds.

The cancellations prompted by omicron take on a weightier significance than missing one special service. Theyre an indicator thatdespite the hopes and prayers and precautions of the past yearthe pandemic continues to take its toll.

As a pastor, Im actually becoming more concerned with the spiritual/mental health and social isolation risk that Im seeing, said Graham at the District Church.

There are a lot of other pandemics that are also happening right now. While we, as DC-educated people, value our physical health, we can sometimes be less aware of what this prolonged pandemic is doing to our spiritual life, our intimacy with God, our relationships with other people in community, and our mental health.

His church, which averaged 800 in weekly attendance prior to the pandemic, has seen in-person attendance cut in half since reopening last July, while the rest of the congregation still attends virtually. The church still plans to return to an in-person format in January.

In New York, where record-high infections have led some to call off Broadway shows and temporarily close restaurants, churches have to weigh whether in-person services can continue safely as omicron takes over as the dominant variant.

The New York Times reported that St. John the Divine, the Episcopal Cathedral in Manhattan, was the first major house of worship in New York to cancel in-person services before Christmas, calling off holiday services, regular weekend services, and special concerts until further notice.

Most churches in Manhattan had already planned to celebrate Christmas at December 19 services, since a significant portion of their flocks would be leaving New York for the holiday itself, according to Drew Hyun, pastor of Hope Church Midtown. Because of the concern surrounding the omicron cases, many congregations went virtual that week.

Leaders at Hope Midtownwhich saw its attendance drop by half, down to around 150, during the pandemicdecided on Saturday night to go online for December 19. The church still plans to hold an in-person and digital Christmas Eve service in conjunction with another partnering church, contingent on new information and data coming in.

For Hyun and Hope Midtown, the pandemic has made them more agile in preparing for the unexpected.

Were more obviously ready for some of these transitions than ever, Hyun said. We know that, just as we got through it last year, that will get through it this year. In many ways, thats what the Christmas story is about, like God working in against-all-odds kinds of circumstances.

Even with rates rising, many churches are keeping in-person services but reiterating the need to take precautions and reminding people to stay home if theyre sick or have been in contact with a sick person.

As for Graham, despite the challenges caused by the omicron variant, he remains hopeful for the upcoming new year in 2022.

I believe that there are times that we go through, like moments found throughout Scripture, for instance, that refine us and prepare us for a move of God, said Graham. And I really believe that we're on the cusp of a spiritual awakeningthat the church is, in some ways, getting smaller so that we can figure out whos radically committed to being a disciple of Jesus. And I think what comes out of that is going to be absolutely beautiful.

More here:

The Alpha and the Omicron: COVID-19 Disrupts Christmas Worship Again | News & Reporting - ChristianityToday.com

More than one-third of Milwaukee County House of Correction inmates test positive for COVID-19  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

See more here:

More than one-third of Milwaukee County House of Correction inmates test positive for COVID-19 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Thirty-six states and Washington, D.C., are closely monitoring rising COVID-19 case numbers as the Christmas holiday approaches.

COVID-19 outbreaks at several schools, upcoming holiday gatherings and the appearance of the omicron coronavirus variant in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, are spurring concerns.

The numbers show a worsening situation in the D.C. area. Health experts say you can protect yourself by taking measures including getting a COVID vaccine or booster shot, wearing a mask in public and limiting gatherings.

Heres a look at the COVID-19 data for D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it impacts you and our communities

Cases are up 98.8% in Washington, D.C. and nearly 60% in Virginia, according to NBC News data (A technical issue has prevented Maryland from reporting).

An average of 1,654 Virginians and 201 Washingtonians were diagnosed with COVID-19 every day in the past week.

The Maryland Department of Healths COVID-19 case metrics havent been updated since Dec. 3.

MDH says a security breach has prevented some data reporting at the state-wide level and counties including Montgomery and Prince Georges.

Deaths have spiked in the District by 600% over the past two weeks. Virginia has reported steady fatalities, according to NBC News.

D.C.s number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals was at 47 a month ago and has doubled to 113, according to city data. Hospital capacity, which includes COVID and other patients, has been above 80% since December began.

In Maryland, hospitalizations are trending upward, and the governor has instructed hospitals to update pandemic plans and take further action to respond.

As of Wednesday, 1,167 people were hospitalized with COVID in Maryland, a 57% increase over two weeks.

Our emergency room (ER) has been overwhelmed with people young and old, CalvertHealth hospital Chief of Medical Staff Dr. Wilfred Ehrmantraut said in a press release.

Virginia has reported a 56% uptick in average hospitalizations in the past month.

See original here:

COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations on the Rise in DC Area - NBC4 Washington

CLEVELAND, Ohio The state of Ohio on Friday reported 10,025 new cases of COVID-19, one of the highest daily case counts seen in 2021, and the addition of 434 deaths marked the highest total since the state began reporting deaths twice a week in the spring.

Ohios death toll since the beginning of the pandemic early last year now stands at 28,028.

Last Friday the state reported 360 deaths, and 264 the Friday before that.

COVID-19 deaths are reported each Tuesday and Friday, though often the deaths being reported are weeks old.

A total of 6,900,371 Ohioans have received at least one vaccination, representing about 62.7% of Ohioans age 5 and up.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 13,327 deaths among people reported as unvaccinated, and 646 among people reported to be fully vaccinated.

Since Jan. 1, there have been 44,406 hospitalized Ohioans who were not fully vaccinated, and 2,652 fully vaccinated people hospitalized.

The states COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough dashboard displays the weekly data regarding the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in fully vaccinated people. It is updated on Thursday.

The state does not report for COVID-19 cases whether people were vaccinated.

Fridays recap:

* Total reported cases: 1,829,367, up 10,025.

* Total reported hospitalizations: 92,195, up 395.

* Total reported ICU admissions: 11,357, up 43.

Thursdays recap:

* Total reported cases: 1,819,342, up 11,803.

* Total reported hospitalizations: 91,800, up 391.

* Total reported ICU admissions: 11,314, up 25.

Past Ohio daily reports:

Thursday, Dec. 15

Wednesday, Dec. 15

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Monday, Dec. 13

Friday, Dec. 10

Here is the original post:

Ohio reports 10,025 more COVID-19 cases and 434 deaths ...