As national COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to drop, trends in six states with the highest rates of decline stand out.
Nationwide, the daily average for COVID-19 hospitalizations on Feb. 24 was 57,522, a 44 percent drop in the last 14 days, according to data from The New York Times. Hospitalizations amid the omicron surge hit a peak of 159,542 Jan. 20.
Below are hospitalization records in six states with some of the largest 14-day COVID-19 hospitalization decreases or lowest hospitalization rates, based on Times data filtered by Becker's.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania hit 1,620 Feb. 25, the lowest level since August, according to data from the state's health department.
New Jersey's COVID-19 hospitalizations dipped below 1,000 Feb. 22 for the first time in nearly three months, according to state data. The decline has continued, dropping from 975 virus patients Feb. 22 to 865 virus patients Feb. 24, with 70 of 71 of the state's medical centers reporting data.
The number of virus hospitalizations in Louisiana dropped below 1,000 for the first time since Dec. 31, with 956 hospitalized Feb. 23, according to state data. There are 623 COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide, according to Feb. 24 data.
Rhode Island is reporting its lowest hospitalization numbers since late November, with 140 COVID-19 patients as of Feb. 22, according to state data. The last time statewide virus hospitalizations fell below 140 was Nov. 13.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Hampshire fell to 95 on Feb. 23, the fewest since Aug. 20, when 90 admissions were reported, according to state data.
In Massachusetts, hospitalizations fell below 550 on Feb. 23, to 512, their lowest since October 25, weeks before omicron was first detected in the U.S., data from the state's COVID-19 dashboard shows.