In Monroe County, COVID-19 cases have been spiking over the past two weeks, up over 180% since March.

According to the state Department of Health, the increase is due to two sub-lineages of the omicron BA.2 variant.

Health officials reported an additional 536 cases Thursday.

Hospitalizations are rising as well. They currently sit at 176 across the Finger Lakes region.

The state DOH says the sub-lineages of the omicron variants now account for about 60% of COVID infections in the state.

They’re estimated to spread at least 23% faster than the previous variant.

With that said, doctors at URMC and RRH say these variants appear to cause less severe infections than previous COVID strains.