U.S. sees sharp rise in daily COVID-19 cases following Memorial Day holidays

People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The United States is currently averaging about 100,000 new cases each day. Experts believe the real count of cases are much higher as many were underreported due to at-home COVID-19 tests.

LOS ANGELES, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States is witnessing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases after the Memorial Day weekend, as nearly 180,000 infections were reported across the country on Tuesday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Confirmed COVID-19 cases during this year's Memorial Day was nearly six times that of last year, CDC data show.

Millions of Americans traveled for Memorial Day weekend at levels not seen since the onset of the pandemic.

It marked a return to normalcy for many people, and a chance to gather with family and friends. But experts warned the situation was far from normal.

This week marks the eighth consecutive week of increasing COVID-19 cases in the United States.

In recent weeks, confirmed daily U.S. cases have been rising again, powered by a rising tide of Omicron subvariants currently circulating the country.

The United States is currently averaging about 100,000 new cases each day, CDC data show. Experts believe the real count of cases are much higher as many were underreported due to at-home COVID-19 tests.

Daily COVID-19 death count is also increasing. More than 500 COVID-19 deaths were reported nationwide on Wednesday.

People unfurl an American flag during an event marking Memorial Day at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, the United States, on May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

The country also continues to see an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. On average, more than 3,500 virus-positive Americans are being admitted to hospitals each day, CDC data show.

It also marked the seventh consecutive week that child COVID-19 cases were increasing in the United States, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association.

More than 112,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States during the past week, a doubling of case counts from the four weeks prior.

Almost 13.4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic in the country, and almost 376,000 of these cases have been added in the past four weeks, according to the AAP.

Last week, updated CDC data revealed that more than half of the U.S. population is now living in a county that has a high or medium community risk level for COVID-19.

The surge was partly caused by the Omicron subvariants that are spreading rapidly across the United States. It was also fueled by the lifting of pandemic restrictions in many parts of the country.

Amid the rise in infections, a growing list of school districts and universities are now moving to bring back mask requirements.

Health experts said the United States in the midst of another COVID-19 wave. They have warned Americans to exercise caution and get booster shots as soon as possible.