(NewsNation Now) — COVID-19 cases in parts of the country are starting to plummet, especially in comparison to the past few weeks, according to recent data.

New York has seen an over 100% drop in cases over the past week. In Florida, cases are down by 66%.

Even places hit hard by the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus are seeing improvements with cases falling, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data, which the news organization said paints an “encouraging scenario.” Reuters noted that COVID-19 data often lags a few days behind the actual state of affairs.

COVID-19 infections have decreased in 15 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, Reuters’ analysis of the past week through Wednesday showed.

Infections in the Northeast part of the United States, which previously had some of the highest caseloads during the latest COVID-19 surge, are down 36% week-over-week.
Dr. Kristin Englund, with the Cleveland Clinic, said while some places are seeing improvements, others continue to see a rise in cases.

“Here in Cleveland, we’re seeing a decline in the number of cases and in New York City and in Chicago,” Englund said. But she pointed out that some states, like Wisconsin and South Carolina, are still seeing COVID-19 cases go up.

Cases are still climbing in the Midwest, which had a 14% week-over-week increase, the highest of all the regions, followed by the South at 8% and West at 7%. However, Reuters reported that the increase has slowed considerably in recent weeks.

“It really depends upon where you live,” Englund said.

In densely populated places, like Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami, there are people who’ve already been exposed to the virus a lot because of their proximity to others. However, in rural areas, Englund said she expects that cases will continue to rise.

“That’s going to be a problem if their hospitals are small, and they may get overwhelmed with the number of cases in those areas,” Englund said.

At bigger hospitals like the one Englund works at, though, they’re able to take “a little bit of a deep breath” and start to relax a bit because numbers are going down.

Even with many places seeing a decline in case count, Englund stressed that it’s still important that people follow safety precautions and don’t let their guard down.
“It’s not too late to get your vaccine,” Englund said. “It’s still important to continue to wear your mask.”
Still, Englund said, the country is getting over what she called its “holiday peak” for cases.

“That’s a good sign, too,” Englund said. “We’re starting to get beyond that.”