One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Is A Fourth Coronavirus Wave Coming For California?
Signage directs people towards the COVID-19 Vaccinations at UC Irvine Medical Center. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
President Joe Biden said Monday that states should pause their reopening efforts amid a new surge in coronavirus cases, creating a potential political liability for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he ushers California into its fastest reopening yet.
Biden's comments came the same day that Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expressed a sense of "impending doom" about a fourth coronavirus wave. Over the past two weeks, positive cases have skyrocketed 133% in Michigan, 62% in Connecticut and 42% in New York, according to a New York Times database. Although California's seven-day case rate is at a low of 1.8%, health experts warn transmission levels could increase as people gather for Passover and Easter and travel for spring break.
- Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer: "We do not yet have enough vaccine protection ... to prevent more transmission if we're not extraordinarily careful in these next few weeks."
Meanwhile, new coronavirus variants continue to pop up throughout California. The Brazilian variant, which appears to be more infectious and to reduce the effectiveness of some antibody treatments, showed up last week in San Diego and the Bay Area for the first time. The state Department of Public Health is tracking five "known variants of concern" and three "known variants of interest," which together account for more than 9,000 cases statewide.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
