The omicron surge has yet to peak nationwide, but some states are reporting a recent drop in COVID-19 cases or hospitalizations.
Below are three states where local health officials said omicron cases may be peaking based on COVID-19 data this week.
Connecticut: COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state reached their lowest level of the past week Jan. 19 with 1,805 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, state data shows. As of Jan. 18, the state's seven-day case average was 6,545, down from a record 10,179 seen Jan. 10, according to the Hartford Courant.
"I think we certainly have passed our peak, and I think our predictions around this time really kind of held true," Ulysses Wu, MD, chief epidemiologist and system director of infectious diseases at Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare, told WTNH.
Illinois: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are also falling in Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. The state has averaged 26,646 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases over the past week, an 18 percent decrease from the week before. As of Jan. 18, the state's seven-day hospitalization rate was 6,920, down from a peak of 7,245 on Jan. 13.
"As we look at those hospitalizations and understand where those numbers are going, that is definitely a clear signal of the direction we're moving in," Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a Jan. 19 media briefing.
Colorado: The state's omicron surge has likely peaked, state officials said Jan. 18, according to The Gazette. COVID-19 metrics are still higher than at any other point during the pandemic, but the state's seven-day case average and positivity rate are both decreasing, according to state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy, MD. Hospitalizations have also plateaued, state data shows.