As the omicron COVID-19 surge appears to be peaking in some areas of the nation, U.S. COVID-19 deaths have started to climb, according to data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times.
Three things to know:
1. While omicron cases are declining in some of the places it first took hold — Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. — nationally, the U.S. is averaging about 755,000 new daily cases, or a 30 percent increase over the last 14 days.
2. Though the variant tends to be less deadly than previous variants, skyrocketing cases will still translate into an increase in COVID-19 deaths.
3. The U.S. is now averaging around 1,900 virus deaths per day, a 42 percent increase over the past 14 days, according to the Times.