BA.5 now 87% of state's COVID cases

The state Department of Health reported this week that the BA.5 subvariant of the omicron variant accounted for 86.9% of all COVID diagnoses in New York, between July 31 and Saturday up from 71.6% the two weeks prior.

The data from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention including New Jersey, the Virgin Island and Puerto Rico, showed that subvariant BA.4 accounted for 6.3% of cases, down from 14.9% from July 17 to July 30; BA.2.12.1 was 1.5% of cases, down from 4.3%. BA.2, which accounted for 1.6% of cases from July 17 to July 30, had negligible cases in the latest count.

BA.5, like other omicron subvariants, is generally gentler than previous variants, but is also more likely to infect previously vaccinated people, the CDC reports.

15 new cases in Cortland County
Cortland County saw 15 new cases of COVID-19, the state Health Department reported Wednesday, bringing the county to a total of 11,937 cases since the pandemic began.

Tompkins and Cayuga counties reported 42 new cases, the state reported Wednesday. The three counties have seen 53,687 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020. The number of people who have died from the virus remains 379.

• One COVID patient was admitted to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center on Tuesday. The hospital had four COVID patients. Since the pandemic began, 716 Cortland County residents have been hospitalized for COVID; that figure was last updated Aug. 1. The state Health Department reports 295,023 tests have been administered. The state has reported 127 deaths.
• Tompkins County saw 30 new cases, the state Health Department reported Wednesday. The number of confirmed cases rose to 23,534. The state reports 3,038,070 tests have been administered. Ninety Tompkins residents have died.
• Cayuga County saw 12 new cases, the state Health Department reported Wednesday. Confirmed cases rose to 18,216. The state reports 376,212 tests have been administered, and 162 people have died.

Cortland's rate at 126 cases per 100,000
Cortland County had 65 new cases of COVID-19 between Aug. 3 and Tuesday, giving it a rate of 136.61 cases per 100,000 people, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

It had a “low” risk, under CDC guidelines. Under metrics and guidance from the CDC — which take into account the number of new cases in a week, the number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity:

• In counties with a “high risk,” wearing a mask in indoor public places is still recommended.
• In counties with a “medium risk,” people with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. People at a high risk for severe illness should consult their healthcare provider about the need for a mask or other precautions.
• In counties with a “low risk,” no additional precautions beyond staying up to date with vaccines and getting tested if one has symptoms are recommended.
  
  The rates and risk, from the CDC:
  Cortland: 136.61 — low
  Tompkins: 130.16 — low
  Cayuga: 84.88 — medium
  Onondaga: 147.01 — medium
  Broome: 104.99 — medium
  Chenango: 105.92 — low
  Tioga: 141.07 — medium
  Madison: 105.72 — low