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Over the weekend, Los Angeles County recorded over 45,000 new COVID-19 cases, which is a dramatic rise compared to weeks prior.
On Saturday, LA County reported 23,558 new cases of COVID. On Sunday, LA County reported 21,200 new cases. With the omicron variant quickly making its way through Los Angeles County, more and more are becoming infected.
Los Angeles County's seven-day daily average rose to 21.8% on Sunday compared to 14.9% a week prior. Vaccinated individuals are also becoming infected with the omicron variant, but officials are saying that those vaccinated individuals have increased protection compared to those that are unvaccinated.
Officials have also mentioned that 20% of those being tested in LA County are positive for COVID-19. Hospitalizations are also on the rise with Los Angeles reporting approximately 1,628 individuals being hospitalized with COVID, which is an increase.
LA County health director Barbara Ferrer discussed how the next few days will be "challenging" for Los Angeles - she stated:
“With explosive transmission likely to continue for some weeks to come, all efforts now need to focus on protecting our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed,”
She continued by saying,
“Since most people in our hospitals with serious illness from COVID are unvaccinated, those not yet vaccinated or boosted need to please stay away from others as much as possible to avoid getting infected or infecting others.”
Los Angeles County officials are asking residents to be more cautious about the events they participate in and stop taking part in activities like being unmasked indoors for extended periods of time as well as attending large outdoor events.
While vaccinations and boosters are believed to bring an increased form of protection, high-risk individuals are being urged to start using more protection like masks.