COVID hospitalizations continue to rise in the U.S., even as Alabama sees a decline in virus-related hospital admissions, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The U.S. saw 12,613 COVID-19 hospital admissions, an increase of 21.6% in the week ending Aug. 12, the most recent data available. The new admissions are still at the 22nd lowest levels recorded since tracking began in August 2020, ABC News reported, with only 21 weeks having lower levels out of nearly 160 weeks of data.

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Current hospitalization numbers are about three times lower than the same time last year and six times lower than the same point in 2021, according to the report. Reported deaths from COVID remained stable at 1.3%. The percentage of emergency room visits related to COVID was at a low 1.5% but that figure does represent an increase of 19% from the previous week.

CDC data shows Alabama has reported 216 new COVID-related hospital admissions in the past week, a drop of 5.7%. ER visits due to COVID were up 18% but remained at a low 2.5% of all emergency visits. The percentage of deaths due to COVID remained virtually flat in the state.

All currently circulating subvariants in the U.S. are related to Omicron descendant XBB with three being closely monitored. The EG.5 variant, nicknamed “Eris,” makes up about 21% of new infections, followed by FL.1.5.1 at 13% and BA.2.86, a highly mutated strain, which remains a distant third.