People queue for a COVID-19 test in Times Square as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 26, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The U.S. national public health agency said on Tuesday the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron was estimated to account for 85.9% of the coronavirus variants in the country.
A resurgence in COVID-19 cases in parts of Asia and Europe has raised concerns that another wave could follow in the United States, but the country's health experts believe it is unlikely.
The U.S. Northeast, including New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, is the hardest hit region across the country, with Omicron BA.2 now accounting for more than 90% of the cases.
Philadelphia, a city in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania, will reimpose its indoor mask mandate from April 18, as a response to a fresh wave of cases.
According to a Reuters tally, COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania have risen nearly 70% within a week as of Sunday, making it among the top 10 states where infections are spreading fastest.
The seven-day moving average of U.S. COVID-19 cases stood at 28,339 as of April 9, up nearly 10% from a week earlier.
BA.2 made up 75.4% of the variants in the country for the week ending April 2, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compared with a previous estimate of 72.2%.
