Los Angeles county has been reporting a record-breaking spike in new covid cases. With an increase of 40,000 positive cases of coronavirus everyday, LA recorded nearly 250,000 covid positive cases in the last eight days creating a record-breaking hike, also being the highest since the pandemic.
Los Angeles County Breaks Record Marking Positive Cases In Eight Days
The cases are increasing along with the increased testing. On average around 115,000 people are being tested every day and the average daily rate of people showing positive for covid is around 20 percent indicating high transmissibility of Omicron. People who are vaccinated like health care works are being tested covid positive, showing the power of variant to affect even the vaccinated people.
On the bright side, people who are vaccinated and take boosters are not affected by a major illness. As health care staff safety is important for the proper functioning of hospitals as the surge may lead to a shortage of staff, the State announced that every health care provider should take a booster dose by February.
Meanwhile, Covid positive patients in LA have been steadily rising and patients in intensive care units are fluctuating around 400. Covid positive have doubled over the past week recording 3,473 patients hospitalized. Amidst the increasing cases, issues like short on staff have become a major issue.
According to LA’s Health department around 1,000 new covid positive cases were found among the health staff last week, reporting a jump of 47% cases. The frontline health care workers are being affected by covid, leaving behind fear among the workers.
To add more, Patients who were hospitalized for other diseases were being tested positive for covid after mandatory tests taken by the hospital. The Department of Public Health issued a new statement that allows health care staff and nurses who have been exposed or tested positive for covid to return to work, without isolation.
The Chief Medical Officer at Los Angeles County- USC Medical Center reported that, even though cases being reported are high compared to the previous peak, the number of people who are hospitalized and taken to intensive care units is low.
During the previous surge around 80 percent of the covid positive patients were taken to emergency units and nearly half of them were admitted to intensive care units. Now, only one-third of covid positive patients are hospitalized at emergency units and only about 20 to 25 percent of them are admitted to the intensive care unit. However, there is no critical demand for beds in intensive care units.
Hospitals in regions like Orange County, are facing a shortage of health care staff and reported around 20 to 30 percent of workers are unavailable due to covid related issues. Ambulances are said to wait around at least half an hour to drop off patients. Orange county has stopped taking in patients from other counties.
California National Guard has been asked to help with providing additional testing facilities and capacities.
With increased testing, demand for testing equipment has increased. At home, antigen tests are being resold for triple the market price. Governor signed a new executive order to protect the buyers. The order prohibits sellers not to increase the price of at-home covid test kits to more than 10percent of the price initially charged by the seller.
It also doesn’t allow the seller to set a price higher than 50percent of the market price. California Justice Department and law enforcement bodies can take actions against those breaking the order by imposing a fine of up to $1000, imprisonment of six months, or both. The state announced that it would spend $2.7 billion, responding to the surgeon’s covid positive cases. It includes assistance to hospitals and increased testing capacity.
