HARRIS COUNTY (KIAH) – COVID-19 has been making headlines once again with an uptick in cases across the nation. Also, as schools are back open, experts in the medical community said expect that upward trend to continue.

Schools across the country are reporting closings or reinstating masks. In Texas, one school had to close because 10 teachers tested positive, according to reports by the San Antonio Express News.

Additionally, Morris Brown College, a small private college near Atlanta, instituted mandatory masking policy for a two-week period that started August 20, 2023, as a precautionary measure because of positive cases reported among the student body.

Here is a look at the national COVID-19 trends.

The latest weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed:

• Hospitalizations are up nearly 19 percent from the week before
• Deaths are up about 21 percent.
• The current test positivity rate is 13.4 percent

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services:

• COVID-19 cases reported in the state increased by nearly 30 percent from last week
• More than 4,500 new cases were reported
• More than 120 new hospitalizations

Locally, Harris County Public Health‘s online dashboard showed:

• The current community level is at low
• New cases are up slightly from the week before standing at 10.84 per 100,000
• The positivity rate is at 4 percent
• Wastewater positivity rate is at 21 percent as of August 7