Eastern U.S. sees surge in caseload from subvariant
While much of the United States has reported a plateau in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, New York City and Washington have been battling a swift rise in cases in the past two weeks as the virus has again upended Broadway and the halls of the federal government.
Cases have doubled in Washington and have risen about 60% in New York City since the last week of March, according to New York Times databases. Although caseloads have been relatively low in the weeks since the omicron surge receded, the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant is contributing to a new wave in some places, especially in the Northeast.
Across the United States, caseloads have stopped falling and have started to rise in states including Alaska, Vermont, Colorado, Rhode Island and New York. Experts have been warning that another surge was coming since the recent increase in Europe, where past virus waves have been a harbinger of what was to come in the United States.
In New York, the Broadway show “Plaza Suite,” starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, canceled a performance after the two actors, who are married, tested positive this week. “Macbeth,” “A Strange Loop” and “Paradise Square” also canceled shows after members of the companies, including Daniel Craig, the star of “Macbeth,” tested positive.
The virus raced through parts of Washington, as well, where several officials tested positive this week after attending parties and events. It started Tuesday, when three House Democrats, Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas, Adam Schiff of Burbank and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, announced positive tests.
On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Attorney General Merrick Garland were among the politicians who said they had the coronavirus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said Thursday that she had tested positive.
The surge in cases may not reflect the true spread of the virus. At-home tests, which have become more widely used, are not usually included in government data.