LA County health officials watching for Omicron variant of coronavirus

Public wellness teams successful Los Angeles County are keeping a wary oculus connected the caller Omicron variant detected successful Africa and Europe, officials said.

The caller perchance much contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up successful much European countries implicit the weekend, conscionable days aft being identified successful South Africa, leaving governments astir the satellite scrambling to halt the spread.

The U.K. connected Saturday tightened its rules connected mask-wearing and connected investigating of planetary arrivals aft uncovering 2 cases. New cases were confirmed Saturday successful Germany and Italy, with Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong besides reporting that the variant has been recovered successful travelers. In the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s apical infectious diseases expert, said helium would not beryllium amazed if the omicron variant was already successful the United States, too.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, meanwhile, addressed quality of the caller variant, too.

“California is intimately monitoring the caller Omicron variant, which has not yet arrived successful California oregon the U.S.,” authorities Public Health Director Tomos Aragon said. “Vaccines proceed to beryllium our champion mode done the pandemic by safely protecting america against terrible unwellness from COVID-19 and its variants. We are doubling down connected our vaccination and booster efforts to guarantee that each Californians person entree to safe, effective, and escaped vaccines that tin forestall superior unwellness and death.”

Officials reminded radical to proceed to deterioration a disguise erstwhile indoors oregon astatine ample outdoor mega-events careless of vaccination status.

“Although much studies are needed to find whether the Omicron variant is much contagious, much deadly oregon resistant to vaccine and treatments than different COVID-19 strains, arsenic with immoderate variant of interest that is recovered successful different countries, determination are important steps we each request to instrumentality to support ourselves from COVID-19 and from emerging variants of concern,” the section said.

Officials urged anyone astatine slightest 5 years aged who has not been vaccinated to bash so, and those who had their past changeable six months agone to get a booster shot. “The vaccines are effectual against the Delta variant and earlier strains of the virus, which allows america to stay hopeful that the approved vaccines volition besides supply immoderate extortion against Omicron,” the connection said.

The fig of coronavirus patients successful region hospitals accrued somewhat connected Sunday, Nov. 28, rising from 565 Sunday to 568, according to the latest authorities figures. The fig of those patients successful intensive attraction roseate from 155 to 157.

Those numbers came arsenic the region reported 575 caller cases of COVID-19 and 7 further deaths associated with the virus, successful totals that apt bespeak reporting delays implicit the weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The region has present reported 1,525,486 cases of COVID-19 and 27,128 fatalities since the pandemic began.

Of the 9,402,000 individuals tested to date, 15% person tested affirmative for the virus, the section said.

During the erstwhile week, 82% of region residents 12 and implicit had received astatine slightest 1 dose of COVID vaccine, and 73% were afloat vaccinated. Of the county’s wide colonisation of 10.3 cardinal people, 71% received astatine slightest 1 dose, and 63% were afloat vaccinated.

Black residents continued to person the lowest vaccination rates, astatine 54%, followed by Latina/o residents astatine 59%, whites astatine 72% and Asians astatine 80%.

Of the astir 5.99 cardinal residents who were afloat vaccinated arsenic of Nov. 16, 75,249 person subsequently tested affirmative for the virus, for a complaint of 1.26%, Ferrer said. Of the vaccinated population, 2,528 person been hospitalized, for a complaint of 0.042%, and 422 person died, a complaint of 0.007%.