The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recorded 27,091 more coronavirus positive cases on December 31, 2021, which is the highest-ever case count for one day.
The Omicron strain spreads faster than the earlier coronavirus variants, so the Department told people in Los Angeles to curtail New Year’s celebrations. It also stated that parties indoors raise the possibility of the coronavirus strain getting transmitted.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer stated that there are challenging days ahead for everyone in Los Angeles as it faces a high case count that reflects widespread coronavirus transmission. To ensure that Angelinos can attend school and work, Ferrer stated that there is a need to take responsible action. Explosive transmission may continue for a few more weeks, so every effort now should be focused on keeping the health system from getting overwhelmed. Ferrer added that people who are yet to get fully vaccinated are most at risk of severe disease.
Almost everyone in hospitals with severe illness from coronavirus is unvaccinated, so those without full vaccination or booster vaccination should self-isolate to the maximum extent to avoid infection or transmission. Vaccinations and booster vaccinations keep offering good protection against serious illness and even death. However, people who are most at risk of serious consequences if they get infected should be around others with more layers of medical protection. The protection includes not only using top-quality and tight-fitting masks when they are around others but also limiting activities that are not essential.
The new coronavirus cases come a day following the emergence of 20,000 coronavirus positive cases when thousands of LA natives rushed to testing locations before the New Year.
At the earlier peak of this epidemic in January 2021, Los Angeles County averaged up to 15,000 coronavirus cases per day, with over 8,000 hospitalizations as well as hundreds of deaths.
The cases of positive COVID-19 have catapulted beyond the earlier peaks, but COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have not quite matched the records of last January. On December 31, 2021, there were 1,365 individuals with COVID-19 hospitalizations and 12 coronavirus-related deaths.