COVID-19 Cases are On the Rise in Western New York and Across the Nation

On Saturday the United States reported a 7-day average of more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases, almost five times higher than what it was a month ago.

WHEN IT COMES TO NEW CASES OFCOVID-19.

IT'S A TREND THAT'SCHIPPING AWAY AT ALL THEPROGRESS WE MADE TO BEGIN THESUMMER.TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATESTNUMBERS.

THE SEVEN DAY AVERAGEPOSITIVITY RATE IN WESTERN NEWYORK IS JUST ABOVE "TWO-PERCENT".

THE FINGER LAKESREGION AND THE STATEWIAVERAGE ARE BOTH CLOSING IN ONTHAT NUMBER.THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THEDELTA VARIANT... AND A SMALLNUMBER OF BREAKTHROUGHCASES.... TONIGHT-- 7EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTERNATALIE FAHMYA TALKS WITH ALOCAL HEALTH EXPERT TO FINDOUT WHAT'S CAUSING THE CURRENTSURGE HERE IN OUR REGION...(:09) (:35) ON SATURDAY THEUNITED STATES REPORTED A 7-DAY AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 50THOUSAND COVID-19 CASES,ALMOST FIVE TIMES HIGHER THANWHAT IT WAS A MONTH AGO.

"THEINCREASING NUMBER OF CASES ANDHOSPITALIZATIONS ARE PRIMARILYBEING DRIVEN BY INFECTIONS INTHE UNVACCINATED." IN WESTERNNEW YORK, POSITIVITY RATESHAVE BEEN ON A STEADYINCREASE.

ON SATURDAY,POSITIVITY WAS JUST ABOVE 2PERCENT.

"CASES AND CONTINUINGTO GO UP, HOSPITALIZATIONS AREGOING UP, AND IF THATCONTINUES, THEN I THINK ACONSIDERATION OF A MASKMANDATE WILL BE BACK ON THETABLE." KENNETH ROBLEDO "IWOULD SAY IT'S OF CONCERN, THEPROBLEM THAT I HAVE MOSTLY ISTHAT STATS DON'T REFLECTEVERYTHING AND I DON'T KNOWWHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE." DR.THOMAS RUSSO FROM THE U-BJACOBS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SAYSTHE NUMBERS ARE HIGHER THANANTICIPATED THIS SUMMER ANDONE CAUSE IS THE DELTAVARIANT.

"ITS MUCH MOREINFECTIOUS AND MUCH MORETRANSMISSIBLE THAN EARLIERVERSIONS THE VIRUS, SO WEREALLY, UNFORTUNATELY, DIDN'TSEE THAT COMING." HE SAYS ITIS IMPORTANT TO REMIND THOSEWHO ARE UNVACCINATED THATMASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS ANDNOW THE DELTA VARIANT COULD BESPREADING IN OUTDOOR SETTINGSTOO.

"EVERYONE'S PLAYINGSOCIAL CATCHUP ANDUNFORTUNATELY THE UNVACCINATEDTHINK THIS PANDEMIC IS OVERAND SO THEY'RE EXPOSINGTHEMSELVES TO OTHERS IN HIGHRISK SITUATIONS." I REACHEDOUT TO THE ERIE COUNTYDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THEGOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR ABREAKDOWN OF CASES, BUT HAVENO HEARD BACK.

REPORTING INBUFFALO, NATALIE FAHMY, 7EWN.STATEWIDE... NEARLY 75-PERCENT OF ADULTS HARECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OFTHE COVID-19 VACCINE.

NEARLY68- PERCENT OF ALL NEW YORKERSARE FULLY VACCINATED.HERE'S A BREAKDOWN BY COUNTYHERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK.

THISIS FOR ADULTS WHO HAVERECEIVED AT LEAST THEIR FIRSTSHOT OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE.ERIE COUNTY LEADS THE WAY WINEARLY 72- PERCENT.

ALLEGANYCOUNTY IS AT THE LOWER END OFTHE SPECTRUM AT"45-AND-A-HALF- PERCENT".THE SURGE IN NEW COVID-19