The North Bay is going through another summer wave of COVID infections. But, this year’s wave is coming on sooner and stronger than last year’s. As of June 27th, the composite level of COVID-19 detected in Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Windsor’s wastewater was at 56-percent of the maximum historic level during the pandemic. On the same date last year, the level was at just eight percent. In Santa Rosa, the level was at 61 percent compared to eight percent last year. Local health officials blame the rise in COVID numbers on the highly contagious FLiRT subvariant and falling vaccination rates.