LOS ANGELES, April 18 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19 cases are rising in more than half of all U.S. states due to the new coronavirus subvariant, said a report of the U.S. business magazine Forbes.

       White House COVID-19 advisor Ashish Jha said Sunday the vaccines are still "holding up" against the virus and the new strain does not cause more severe infection, according to the report.

       Omicron subvariant BA.2 is more transmissible than the original strain, causing infections to tick up, Jha said.

       The country is averaging about 35,000 new infections daily, up 42 percent from two weeks prior, according to data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.