Spokane County is starting to see a slight uptick in confirmed cases of COVID-19 from the past 10 days.

The change reflects what is happening in the Puget Sound, where case counts have also increased in the past few weeks, largely due to the spread of the omicron subvariant, BA.2.

Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velázquez said the county’s increase in cases is modest compared to those seen in Western Washington .

Hospitalizations due to the virus remain stable, around 10 to 15 patients in county hospitals at a time.

The most recent two-week case rate for Spokane County is 121 cases per 100,000 residents, according to local health district data.

The seven-day case rate for the county has increased by about 10 cases per 100,000 in the past month, according to state data, from 27 cases per 100,000 in late March to 40 cases per 100,000 the most recent week for which data is available.

The increase in cases is likely due to relaxed masking guidelines, as well as spring break travel and holidays celebrated in the past few weeks, which health officials warned could lead to more virus transmission in the community.

“The good news is it’s still a modest increase, and the even better news is we haven’t seen the impact on our hospital capacity,” Velázquez said.

This week, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly three in four children and teenagers have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 60% of American adults have had the virus. This doesn’t mean there is blanket immunity in the country, however.

In fact, cases are increasing in many states, and health officials are still encouraging people who have tested positive in the past few months to get vaccinated and boosted.

In Spokane County, just 23% of children ages 5 to 11 have received one dose of a COVID vaccine. In 12- to 17 year-olds, 46% of county teens have received at least one dose.

Here’s a look at local numbers

The Spokane Regional Health District on Wednesday reported 61 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death.

There have been 1,341 deaths due to COVID-19 in Spokane County residents.

There are 17 patients hospitalized with the virus in Spokane.

The Panhandle Health District reported 12 new cases and no additional deaths.

There is one Panhandle resident hospitalized with the virus.