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By Soo Kim
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COVID-19 cases are reported to be rising in 27 states and "likely growing" in 12 states more, as well as in Washington D.C., according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The national health body warned that COVID-19 infections are estimated to be "growing or likely growing in 40 states [including D.C.], declining or likely declining in zero states, and not changing in nine states," as of July 29.
A spokesperson for the CDC told Newsweek: "COVID-19 activity is increasing in many Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southern and West Coast states."
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The percentage of positive cases is increasing nationally and, while emergency department visits for COVID-19 are low, these visits are rising among all ages.
The spokesperson said: "The most-recent genomic surveillance estimates indicated that the most-common variants in the U.S. were NB. 1.8.1 and LP. 8.1 in late June." They added that, "due to low numbers of sequences reported to CDC, precision in the most-recent reporting period is low."
However, "wastewater data indicates that XFG may now be the most-prevalent lineage in the United States," the spokesperson said, adding that other, less-common variants are also circulating.
The recent rise in COVID-19 cases can be linked to various factors; these range from variants and "waning immunity from past infection and vaccination," to the weather/climate and "seasonal behaviors, including holiday gatherings and celebrations and travel this summer for vacations," according to the CDC spokesperson.
"The current rise in COVID-19 cases is likely multifactorial," Dr. Steven Goldberg told Newsweek. He is the primary care/urgent care physician and chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx—a PCR testing company that works with the CDC to help create fast testing for viruses including COVID-19*.*
Goldberg said: "Increased summer travel, indoor gatherings due to high temperatures, waning vaccine immunity and the emergence of immune-evasive Omicron subvariants like KP. 3 and LB. 1 all play a role."
"Wastewater surveillance, along with anecdotal reports of increased COVID-19—related ER and urgent care visits, corroborate this increase," Goldberg said.
"Notably, real-time transmission estimates (Rt) show values above 1 in most states, indicating active spread." Rt—the "effective reproduction number"—is an estimate of the average number of new infections caused by each infectious person.
The states with rising cases are each reported to have a more-than-90-percent probability that the "COVID-19 epidemic is growing" there. The states with some of the highest probabilities include Florida (99.92 percent), Massachusetts (99.68 percent), Texas (99.52 percent) and Maryland (98.95 percent.)
The CDC spokesperson said that the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines currently available are expected to protect against JN. 1-lineage viruses, including NB. 1.8.1, LP. 8.1, and XFG, as they do for other variants.
"In May 2025, FDA [Food and Drug Administration] recommended that the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine formulation should be monovalent JN. 1-lineage-based, preferentially using the LP. 8.1 strain," the spokesperson added.
Noting that there is a high level of immunity from previous COVID-19 infections at the population level and that most people in the U.S. have had COVID-19 at least once, the spokesperson said "the growing trend of XFG and others does not alter the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations."
"The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. People should consult with their health-care provider on their options," the spokesperson said, adding that, "as of now, there have been no changes to public health precautions."
While the current summer wave of cases is less severe than previous peaks, "this surge may intensify further in the fall with back-to-school and return-to-office patterns unless mitigated by vaccine uptake and public awareness," Goldberg said.
The nine states where cases remain unchanged in recent days include Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont. The percent of emergency department visits in these states was reported to be either low or very low, according to the CDC.
Goldberg said that several factors may explain the plateau in these nine states, including lower population density, such as in Montana and Alaska, as well as limited large-scale indoor gatherings, and higher vaccine booster uptake.
"It's also possible that regional Rt estimates are slightly lagging and may rise in future updates," Goldberg added.
The physician said updated vaccines targeting the latest Omicron sublineages, which are expected to emerge in the fall this year, are "essential" for combating rising cases and new variants.
Goldberg said: "These next-generation vaccines are designed to enhance protection against immune-evasive strains like the Omicron-subvariants KP. 3 and LB.1."
Goldberg added that, while reinstating broad health mandates may not be necessary at this stage, "targeted recommendations are prudent." He added that supporting voluntary masking in health-care settings, airports, and high-risk indoor gatherings can help reduce transmission. He advised encouraging vaccination, especially for people at high risk, as well as those living with high-risk individuals.
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Update 08/08/25, 12:12 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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