Omicron Dominates In U.S.; 73% Of New COVID-19 Cases: CDC Data

ACROSS AMERICA — The omicron variant has overtaken the delta coronavirus variant and is now dominant in the United States, accounting for 73 percent of new cases, federal health officials estimate.

The omicron spike comes three weeks after the variant was detected half a world away and days before Americans gather for the holidays, sparking fears among health officials that COVID-19 cases could return to early pandemic levels.

The CDC numbers — which suggest more than 650,000 omicron variant infections nationwide last week — show how quickly omicron is spreading. Nationwide, omicron variant cases increased sixfold in only a week.

In some regions of the country, the spike is higher than 73 percent. The variant accounts for at least 90 percent of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the Midwest and Pacific regions.

The delta variant had been dominant since June, and as recently as the end of November, represented 99.5 percent of new cases.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters Monday that omicron’s rapid spread matches what other countries have seen.

“These new numbers are stark, but they are not surprising,” Walensky said.

Only about 28 percent of Americans have gotten their COVID-19 booster shots, which health officials say is the best defense against the omicron variant. Only about 61 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated but aren’t boosted, and health officials are worried about the nation’s ability to withstand a fifth wave of COVID-19.

For more information, go to the CDC data tracker.