COVID cases, hospitalizations ticking up in the US but remain lower than last year

COVID-19 cases are ticking up in the U.S. as children head back to school and the country prepares to enter the colder weather months. For the week ending Aug. 9, the COVID hospitalization rate was 1.7 per 100,000, double the rate from two months ago, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Additionally, for the week ending Aug. 23, 11.2% of weekly tests came back positive for COVID, up from 3.3% the prior two months, CDC data shows. Despite the increases, metrics remain much lower than in previous years. Hospitalization rates are about three times lower than at the same time last year and the percentage of weekly tests coming pack positive is about two times lower compared to the same period last year. Additionally, over the past two months, roughly 200 Ame