Covid-19

Hospitals in LA County seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients, health officials say reinstating the indoor mask mandate is a possibility

Los Angeles, California – Despite the health experts’ predictions that COVID-19 will fade and we will see a mild winter season of COVID cases, hospitals are once again seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients, forcing many communities to consider reinstating the indoor mask mandate, with LA County among them.

According to the most recent data provided by the state, the total number of patients diagnosed with coronavirus at hospitals located within Los Angeles County has grown by 34 to 1,205, with 10% of those currently being treated in ICU. The seven-day average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 12.2% as of Friday.

The current surge is attributed to two new COVID-19 virus variants known as BQ.1 and BQ.1.1.

The rising case and hospitalization numbers have moved Los Angeles County from the “low” COVID community activity level to the “medium” category. It is expected that LA County will reach “high” level in a matter of days, which brings back the possibility of reinstating the indoor mask mandate.

The LA Public Health Director, Barbara Ferrer, said last week during a press conference that the county will follow the CDC guidance for communities designated at the “high community level,” including the masking mandate, if new COVID-19 hospital admissions and the number of staffed in-patient beds occupied by COVID patients continue to increase and the case rate reaches 200 cases per 100,000 residents. The current rate of new cases in the county currently stands at 185 per 100,000 residents.

Health officials are recommending the already well-known measures to protect yourself from getting infected with COVID, such as washing hands thoroughly, avoiding gatherings, and getting vaccinated.

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