ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Officials from the Monroe County Department of Public Health reported Monday the county is now averaging 596 new COVID-19 cases per day over the last week, up from 455 last Monday.

Monroe County officials also reported six new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the county’s to-date total to 1,829.

Officials also reported 183 regional COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday, including 17 in an ICU. Regional hospitalizations are up from 166 last Monday and 122 two weeks ago on April 4.

The recent rise in cases has been attributed to the presence of the highly contagious omicron BA.2 variant, first detected locally on March 24.

Despite the rise in cases, Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza told News 8 earlier this month that this variant is “not as serious,” but he added that does not mean that individual people might not be at risk.”

“Well, we’re at a point in the pandemic where, as you said, people are very tired of having to hear about COVID, hear the numbers and cases and surges and all of that but the reality is we don’t have the luxury of yet saying that COVID is gone,” Dr. Mendoza said. “COVID is still with us — in fact this week I’m in the hospital taking care of people who have long-COVID and for those individuals, COVID is very much a very real thing.”

Monroe County new cases (4/11/22-4/18/22)

190Female under 10
193Male under 10
1Blank under10
265Female 10-19
198Male 10-19
3Non-binary in 10s
1Blank in 10-19
375Female in her 20s
285Male in his 20s
9Non-binary in 20s
2Blank in 20s
365Female in 30s
282Male in his 30s
4Non-binary in 30s
1Blank in 30s
349Female in her 40s
258Male in his 40s
1Non-binary in 40s
1Blank in 40s
343Female in her 50s
250Male in his 50s
230Female in her 60s
201Male in his 60s
1Non-binary in 60s
120Female in her 70s
89Male in 70s
60Female in her 80s
52Male in his 80s
1Non-binary in 80s
32Female in her 90s
10Male in his 90s
1Non-binary in 90s
 Female 100+
 Male 100+
4173TOTAL NEW CASES IN PAST WEEK