(KERO) — New COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline around most of the world except in the Americas and Western Pacific. According to the World Health Organization, in countries like the United States and Canada, those numbers are actually spiking.
The WHO reports the number of new weekly cases in other regions has continued falling globally since peaking in January. But while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 54-percent of the U.S. population is living in areas with low cases certain areas in America are rising back into medium and high levels.
As of this week, the northeastern region of the U.S. has the highest rates of COVID cases.
But that uptick in cases is here in California too. The latest CDC data shows most of California is sitting in that low-level range except for counties along the coast. The Bay Area in particular experiencing a notable surge with a small uptick in COVID hospitalizations. As of this week, those counties have the highest rates of infections in the state.
Kern County is still in the "low" case range but, that could be impacted by a drop in people getting tested.
A majority of Americans have issues or concerns with COVID-19 vaccines related to pregnancy. That's according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey showing more than 60-percent of U.S. adults either believe false information about the safety of shots for pregnant women.
The findings are based on about 1,500 people questioned earlier this month.
But the CDC recommends COVID-19 shots for women whether they are pregnant or not. And officials there say that misinformation makes a difference. Currently, only 70-percent of pregnant women in the U.S. are fully vaccinated. That's seven percent less than the general population.
