COVID-19 hospital admissions jump 12.1% in one week

COVID-19 hospitalization admissions rose to 9,056 for the week ending July 29 ─ a 12.1% jump over the prior week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase was the highest climb since last winter. The death rate has hovered around 1% for the past month. For the last three years, COVID cases have climbed during the summer months when more people gather outside and travel. At the same time, intense heat causes unsheltered people to seek out cooling centers, which can drive infections, according to Jill Rosenthal, the director of public health policy at the Center for American Progress.