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Coronavirus infections have declined about 70% since the start of the spring semester among students in L.A. County, but overall rates remain significantly higher than they were before the current surge.

The decline in the latest countywide figures, released Thursday by Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, aligns with other data suggesting that the peak of the explosive growth due to the Omicron variant has passed. Health officials warned, however, that it remains important to take precautions — many of which remain required under local health orders.

Among the rules that Ferrer reiterated Thursday was the requirement for students and school staffers to continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors until there is further significant improvement in health metrics.

For the third week in a row, the test positivity rate for schools has declined. More than 486,000 tests were administered from Monday to Friday last week, with 4% indicating a coronavirus infection. In the beginning of January, the test positivity rate was 14%.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.