This summer's COVID surge is proving to be worse and worse, and with the significant uptick in cases across the Bay Area, Marin County is reporting a rise in severe disease and COVID-related deaths that's worse than the county saw last winter.

With July now over, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services is sounding the alarm about a significant uptick in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. The chart below shows the hospitalization rate trending upward through July, and you can see a mirror effect of last summer — with rates higher than they were through the winter months.

Also, the county's wastewater surveillance is showing a significant rise in virus prevalence since early June, with the concentration of COVID in wastewater about 50% higher than it was last summer, but not quite as high as a peak that occurred in early February.

In Marin County, among a small number of collected samples, a little over a third were the KP variants (KP.2 and KP.1.1), and the remainder were the LB.1 variant, collectively known as the FLirt variants.

"As summer comes, there's more gatherings," says Marin County Health Officeer Dr. Matt Willis, speaking to ABC 7. "We've had gatherings both indoors and outdoors. As we've had heat waves people were coming indoors in air conditioned settings. That might have fueled transmission."

Willis is warning residents, especially those over the age of 65, that they shouldn't be waiting to get a new vaccine shot when the updated vaccine is released in September or later.

"With the transmission rates as high as they are right now that's too long to wait," Willis tells ABC 7. "So we want people to really reach out to their medical provider and get the vaccine now, especially those that are in that over 65 age group."

The uptick in severe cases in the county has prompted a return to disease-prevention precautions for senior living faciilties.

Kyle Ruth-Islas, chief operating officer at one of those facilities in Marin, The Redwoods, tells ABC 7 that they are back to screening all visitors for possible infection, and practicing universal masking.

In San Francisco, there was a slight jump in COVID-related deaths in June, with 14 total deaths in June and July combined. Compare that to January of this year, when 15 COVID deaths occurred, and April, when the number dipped down to one.

San Francisco paused its reporting on COVID-related hospitalizations in May, and a current statistic was not currently available from the Department of Public Health.

Related: Current COVID Uptick Appears to Be Coming With New Symptoms, Like Stomach Issues