ALBANY COUNTY — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to track three  kinds of the Omicron variant.

The lineage of Omicron that soared in January, BA.1.1, remains dominant across the United States, at about two-thirds of all new cases.

However, the BA.2 lineage now makes up about 23 percent nationwide, the CDC reports, as of the latest reckoning on the week ending March 12.

At the same time, a third lineage of the Omicron variant, B.1.1.529, accounts for about 11 percent of new cases.

A CDC map of the United States shows that the region that includes New York and New Jersey has 39 percent of the new cases of the BA.2 lineage.

Western Europe is now experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the BA.2 lineage of Omicron.

The World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on the coronavirus had issued a statement on Feb. 22 saying, “Based on available data of transmission, severity, reinfection, diagnostics, therapeutics and impacts of vaccines, the group reinforced that the BA.2 sublineage should continue to be considered a variant of concern and that it should remain classified as Omicron. The group emphasized that BA.2 should continue to be monitored as a distinct sublineage of Omicron by public health authorities.”

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy noted a slight uptick in new COVID-19 cases in his Friday press release, which was typical of other places in the state, including New York City.

 McCoy, who is now issuing a twice-weekly release, reported  46 new infections identified since Thursday and 132 new infections since the last update on Tuesday.

The county’s seven-day average of new daily positive cases is now up to 33.1 from 29.5.  

Albany County’s most recent seven-day average of COVID cases per 100,000 is now at 7.4 and its positivity rate is at 2.1 percent.

McCoy reported one new COVID hospitalization since Thursday and four since Tuesday. There are now 12 county residents hospitalized with the coronavirus — a net increase of two sinceTuesday. One patient is in an intensive-care unit.

Albany County’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 536.

“While I’m happy to see the share of Albany County’s population with the COVID booster shot is now up to 64.1 percent, I know we can do even better,” said McCoy in the release. “The vaccine works, but its effectiveness fades over time, and the best way we can prevent the worst illnesses and deaths caused by the Coronavirus is to get the booster.”

The two companies producing a messenger RNA vaccine against COVID-19 — Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech — have asked the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization for a second booster shot.

Pfizer has made the request for people 65 and older; Moderna has made the request for all adults.