It’s been found in the DMV and it is thought it’s being found within fruits and vegetables in SYSCO supplied restaurants and Taylor Farm products. But we don’t have a working CDC or HHS to track so this is gonna be a mess
COVlD Update - July 8, 2026 (US)
The US has 7 hot spots presently, per CDC data (link in next).
The Texas and Guam outbreaks persist. SE Florida has picked up. Other upticks are more isolated.
Houston:
We are keeping a close eye on Houston. The PMC map is conservative in depicting median very low levels (2 sites very high, 2 low, 4 very low). Harris County (Houston) had 67 sites report in May, but only 8 today, with 5 rising meaningfully to precipitously. The very high levels in the adjacent county of Fort Bend have fallen, whereas the very low levels in the adjacent county of Montgomery have risen quickly. Houston is basically teetering between a wave and a return to calm, and could flip either way (or may have already). With the World Cup, especially, everyone in the area should track this closely and continue to advance layered mitigation. We began encouraging boosters there a month ago.
Florida:
The wave in SE Florida has worsened steadily.
California:
The levels in Plumas (CA) are exceedingly high, similar to 2/3 the level of the national BA.1. Omicron surge. Different dashboards have shown different isolated hot spots across central/northern CA the past month.
Nationally:
Levels are still at their lowest in about 5 years. The states that were picking up early last summer (west coast, HI, Gulf South) have had more isolated or transitory increases thus far, which is a good sign. However, the data are lagging, most recently from June 27. The CDC update on July 17 will be most telling with regard to post-Independence Day increases. If no increase noted by July 24, we would be headed into a different place on COVlD. Any minimizing before then would be premature.
There is no PMC Report this week due to the delayed CDC data. However, the interactive map *HAS* been updated; link in next.