As COVID-19 cases continue to tick up in the United States, the Northeast appears to be fueling the increase.
Four of the five states with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 are in the Northeast. Of the 10 states with the highest seven-day rates, seven are Northeastern, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rhode Island currently has the highest seven-day case rate at 172.4 cases per 100,000 people. This is nearly three times higher than the national rate of 59.4 cases per 100,000 people.

Other Northeastern states seeing increases include Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Maine, and Connecticut.

Experts said one of the reasons for the rise in cases is the spread of BA.2, a subvariant of the original omicron variant that is more transmissible.