Erie County is one of several local counties to be classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having a high COVID-19 community level.
The designation is based on the number of new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients over the last seven days.
Health officials say two omicron subvariants are leading the increase in cases over the past month. The new variants spread approximately 25% faster than previous COVID-19 variants.
The CDC has issued the following guidance for counties with high community levels of COVID-19:
- Wear a mask indoors in public
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness