https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/covid-19-cases-tick-up-in-9-states.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter

Cases of COVID-19 have increased during the last 14 days in 10 states and Washington, D.C., with the latest additions of the district and Illinois. 

Nationwide, COVID-19 cases decreased 15 percent over the past 14 days, according to HHS data collected by The New York Times. But as the more contagious omicron subvariant BA.2 continues to spread, cases are ticking upward in 10 states and D.C. as of March 25. Cases were moving upward in nine states as of March 24, with D.C. and Illinois reporting increases a day later. 

Here are the 14-day changes for cases in each state reporting an increase, according to HHS data collected by The New York Times:

New York: 44 percent 

Kentucky: 35 percent 

Arkansas: 23 percent 

Colorado: 21 percent 

Connecticut: 18 percent 

Texas: 17 percent 

Massachusetts: 15 percent 

Vermont: 13 percent

Rhode Island: 11 percent

Washington, D.C.: 5 percent

Illinois: 1 percent 

The latest variant proportion estimates from the CDC show the omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for more than one-third of COVID-19 cases nationwide and more than half of cases in the Northeast. Rhode Island has the highest proportion of BA.2 cases of all states, according to the latest ranking of states by the subvariant’s prevalence.

“If we maintain our preparedness, an increase in cases does not need to be a cause for alarm like it once was,” Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said in a March 23 media briefing. “We know what tools we need to fight the virus. Unfortunately, because of congressional action, we’re at risk of not having these tools readily available.” 

President Joe Biden signed into law March 15 a sweeping $1.5 trillion bill that funds the government through September. The legislation did not include COVID-19 funding the White House had requested from Congress due to partisan disagreement about offsetting the funding.

There is no clear path to approval of more COVID-19 funding.

The lack of funding is affecting resources for COVID-19 testing and treatment. The Health Resources and Services Administration stopped accepting providers’ claims for COVID-19 testing and treatment of the uninsured March 22 due to a lack of sufficient funds. The federal government is also cutting back shipments of monoclonal antibody treatments to states by 30 percent, and the U.S. supply of those treatments could run out as soon as May.