Los Angeles County reported a daily increase in the number of new cases Wednesday, and the percentage of persons testing positive for COVID-19 had more than doubled since two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, the county reported 422 new cases, the largest in weeks and more than double the amount recorded on June 15, the day most COVID-19 health restrictions were lifted locally and nationwide.
Increase In Community Transmission Is Alarming
The current rate of test positive was 1.2 percent, up from 0.5 percent on June 15. The rate was 0.4 percent on June 12. Last Friday, it was 0.8 percent.
“While the increase in community transmission is concerning, Public Health notes the increases are still far below the surge levels over the winter of over 15,000 new cases and the test positivity rate of 20%,” the county Department of Public Health said in a statement.
Thousands of people were vaccinated every day at the mass vaccination site for months. It was practically vacant Wednesday due to a decrease in demand.
A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, most adults who want to get the vaccine have already done so and 14% say they won’t get the vaccine at all.
Advice of WHO
The World Health Organization advises everyone, including those who have been immunized, to wear masks.
On “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that local officials can make alternative recommendations in regions where there is a higher risk.
“We are still witnessing an increase in cases in regions with poor vaccination rates, and in that circumstance, we recommend that rules be implemented at the local level, and such masking regulations are truly designed to protect the unprotected,” Walensky said, adding: “We feel the vaccinated are still safe.”
