U.S. COVID hospitalizations up about 33%, deaths up about 40% over past week -CDC chief

COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States are up by about 33% over the past week and deaths are up about 40%, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, speaking on a media call, said U.S. cases, now driven by the Omicron variant, are expected to peak in the coming weeks.