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Disturbingly, Los Angeles County has reported another day of sharply rising coronavirus cases.
As of Wednesday, 2,551 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded, the highest total in months, highlighting how the Delta variant is spreading rapidly among those who have not been vaccinated.
Authorities have expressed growing concern over the spread. The positivity rate now stands at 5.2% in Los Angeles County; a month ago it was only 0.7%. With Wednesday’s tally, county health officials report that cases have increased twenty-fold over the past month.
The peak comes after LA County this weekend began requiring people to wear masks in indoor public places.
In the past week, California has reported an average of 3,671 new cases per day, more than quadruple the number a month ago.
People who have been vaccinated have strong protection against even the Delta variant, but those who are not vaccinated are most at risk.
“This [masking] just level the playing field. It offers protection for everyone, ”LA County health worker Dr. Muntu Davis said last week.
The Delta variant is believed to be twice as transmissible as conventional coronavirus strains. Since its presence in California was confirmed in April, Delta has quickly become the dominant strain in the state, accounting for 48.8% of all cases analyzed in June.
About 60% of Californians now live in a county that recommends or requires indoor masking for all individuals, including those vaccinated against COVID-19.
Officials hope masking in indoor public spaces will slow the spread – but it will take weeks to be sure. LA County officials said they could impose more restrictions if conditions worsen, but did not provide details.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that the state was “committed to dealing with this latest surge in new cases” but also “not to impose further restrictions.”
This week alone, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Lake and San Joaquin joined the list of counties asking even fully vaccinated people to wear face covers as a precaution inside places. such as grocery stores, cinemas and outlets.
Most of the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Sacramento, Yolo and Fresno counties, now also recommend that people wear masks indoors.
Despite decisions made locally, the California Department of Public Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that fully vaccinated people can do without masks in most situations, given the high standard. protection provided by injections.
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