Coronavirus cases rose faster in Los Angeles County in the past week than in California as a whole, and the region’s case rate on several days exceeded the state’s.
L.A. County public health officials reported 3,058 new infections Friday — the highest figure since mid-February, and the third day in a row with more than 2,500 cases reported in a day. The trend continued on Saturday, with more than 2,600 cases reported.
The county’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases was 12.3 per 100,000 residents, compared to California’s 9.5 new cases per 100,000 residents.
Friday’s report continues a troubling pattern of increased transmission that emerged after the state’s June 15 reopening and coincided with increased circulation of the super-contagious delta variant among the unvaccinated.
The number of new cases recorded over the past seven days in L.A. County was up 80% from the previous seven-day period.
“If we didn’t have 5.3 million people fully vaccinated in L.A. County, we would probably be seeing almost double the number of cases today,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the county public health department. “As cases continue to rise, many of us are trying to figure out what steps to take to minimize exposure to the virus.”
Ferrer added that “now would be an important time” for those eligible to get the vaccine but haven’t yet.
“For everyone, common-sense precautions including masking when indoors, frequent handwashing and avoiding crowds, will reduce your risk while allowing you to continue to enjoy the activities you love,” she said.
