[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The spread of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant in the United States has been brought under control. In New York City and Washington DC, which led the initial spread, the number of new confirmed cases has dropped to half of the peak level.
According to the daily New York Times (NYT) on the 21st (local time), the 7-day average of daily new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. was recorded at 721,658. This is an 11% increase compared to two weeks ago, but considering that the growth rate exceeded three times as of the 10th, the increase has sharply slowed down.
The daily average number of confirmed cases has also been declining after peaking at 806,801 on the 14th. In New York City and Washington DC, which led the initial spread, the number of new confirmed cases has dropped to half of the peak level.
The NYT commented, "The number of new confirmed cases has begun to decrease nationwide, suggesting that the Omicron-driven spread, which broke previous records and infected tens of millions, is starting to subside."
Especially in states where new confirmed cases are decreasing, the decline is rapid. Just as the increase was explosive, the decrease is also occurring steeply. Foreign media have evaluated this as a pattern similar to what appeared in South Africa, where the Omicron spread passed through first.
However, in Utah, new confirmed cases and hospitalizations are rising to record levels, and some southwestern regions are still struggling. Alabama, Arizona, and South Carolina are also experiencing an increase in confirmed cases.
The number of deaths, a lagging indicator that follows the trend of confirmed cases, is still on the rise. The daily average number of deaths was recorded at 2,162, a 44% increase compared to two weeks ago. This figure surpassing 2,000 is the first time since September last year.
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