Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
COVID Cases Rise Again In LA County Where Most People Are Skipping Boosters
About 70% of COVID cases in L.A. County are caused by BA.5, down from 88% in early August.
(
Courtesy L.A. County Dept. of Public Health
)
Topline:
COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the beginning of November. Los Angeles County health officials report a 24% jump since just last week, from 1,000 to 1,300 reported new cases on average per day.
What's going on: Lab results show that while Omicron subvariant BA.5 is still responsible for two thirds of the cases, some of its offspring are adept at evading immunity and are spreading quickly.
Why it matters: New subvariants of BA.5 such as BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 mean more uncertainty. Health officials don’t yet know if they cause more severe illness than other Omicron strains, but we do know they are here to stay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts these subvariants will continue their rapid rise across the U.S., and could cause another winter wave.
Support for LAist comes from
Why now: As we head into a third pandemic holiday season, people are tired of taking precautions, which is a recipe for more infections. The new bivalent booster protects against BA.5 will likely give great protection against its BQ descendants, said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. But just 12% of eligible Angelenos have gotten the free shot.
(
Courtesy of the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health
)
What's next: L.A. County is still in the CDC’s low community level, meaning our hospitals are not under strain and there are enough staffed beds. But with so few people seeking out the bivalent booster, health officials are worried another winter surge could strain the health system, especially if influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases continue to rise.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist