U.S. COVID-19 deaths are rising again, led by the Midwest

COVID-19 deaths are increasing in the U.S. after months of decline, driven by sharp increases in the Midwest and a handful of other states.

The seven-day average of newly reported deaths on Wednesday hit the highest in a month, according to the COVID Tracking Project’s most recent data.

The country recorded 994 confirmed and probable deaths, pushing the seven-day average to 757, according to the group. The numbers are about a third of April’s peaks, but appear to be starting a third ascent.

The Dakotas and Montana have turned into the deadliest places per capita, based on the average in the past week, but deaths are also rising in the Northeast, albeit from a low base. The situation will likely worsen: Cases and hospitalizations have risen more sharply than deaths from recent lows, and the resurgence that started in the Upper Midwest — especially in rural areas — has already gotten much wider.

The South is also a major contributor to the national toll, partly because it’s so populous: The region, as defined by the Census Bureau, is roughly equivalent to the Northeast and Midwest combined.

The U.S. added 63,372 cases Wednesday, pushing the seven-day average to the highest since Aug. 3, according to Johns Hopkins University data. There have been more than 220,000 deaths.

According to COVID Tracking Project data:

• The Midwest surge is continuing, and it’s approaching the high-water mark of the South’s JuneJuly viral wave: about 315 daily cases per million residents. • Seven-day average cases in the Northeast reached the highest since May, but it’s still the least concerning region by cases per capita.

• The Northeast is also testing more aggressively than anywhere else: In the past week, it accounted for about 27% of all U.S. tests and around 9% of new positives.