Cooper urges mask mandate end as Omicron subsides

Case numbers continue to decline in Western North Carolina and statewide as the Omicron surge subsides.

Omicron brings fewer deaths, more hospitalizations than previous variants

After case counts soared to unprecedentedly high levels throughout the month of January, the Omicron wave of COVID-19 appears to be receding in North Carolina — but public health officials in Western North Carolina are hesitant to say that’s yet the case locally. 

Cases surge with Omicron arrival

The arrival of the extremely contagious Omicron variant in conjunction with holiday travel and gatherings has caused a spike in COVID-19 cases far eclipsing anything seen in the pandemic to date — but the variant’s apparently milder effects compared to previous COVID-19 strains could a limited impact.

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