Rhode Island reporting nation's highest new case rate, California reaches pandemic case high
Deaths in the U.S. are on the rise. The average now stands at more than 1,600 new COVID-19-related fatalities each day -- up by about 48% in the last two weeks, according to federal data.
Out of the 3,220 U.S. counties, just 26 counties are not reporting high transmission, according to federal data.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/covid-1-sh-er-220112_1642009046768_hpMain.jpg)
In the last week alone, the U.S. has reported more than 5.2 million new cases -- that averages out to nearly nine Americans testing positive for COVID-19 every second.
Rhode Island is reporting the nation's highest new case rate, while California is now averaging more than 100,000 new cases every day -- a pandemic high for the Golden State.
![PHOTO: People line up at a COVID-19 testing site in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Jan. 11, 2022.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/covid-2-sh-er-220112_1642009311067_hpEmbed_3x2_992.jpg)
But, according to experts, the surging national case numbers may not be indicative of what is happening in every region, and the nation's overall continued increase does not necessarily mean that some areas will not see a decline.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos