COVID-19 rates continues to climb in the Mid-Hudson region.

The infection rate in the region is now at 4.55%.

Seven new deaths have been reported in the area - three Orange county residents, two from Westchester County, and one each from Ulster and Dutchess counties.

Meanwhile, new CDC data shows there have been no deaths among the 43 confirmed cases in the U.S. of the omicron COVID-19 variant. That includes the one case discovered in Westchester County.

So far, no other new cases have been detected in the Hudson Valley.

Across the nation, only one person was hospitalized by the new variant. 

Public health experts say there are early signs omicron could cause less severe disease than previous variants. But they say it is still too soon to say for sure because many of the cases are younger adults who have been vaccinated.