Los Angeles area surpasses 2M COVID-19 cases

The Los Angeles area reached 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases this week.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County reported 43,582 new cases on Monday as the omicron variant continues to spread.

Officials told the news outlet that even the unprecedented case numbers could be an undercount as people who test positive with an at-home test may not be accounted for.

The county reportedly acknowledged the surge in cases as a “grim milestone.”

Nearly 250,000 cases were recorded in a seven-day period last week and more rapid spread was anticipated for this week, the Times reported.

California Public Health Director Mark Ghaly on Monday said omicron is presenting a challenge to California’s health systems and further impacting communities that have already been hit the hardest by the pandemic, the news outlet noted.

“We’re experiencing the highest case numbers that we’ve ever had, above 100,000 cases reported on a daily basis now for the last many days,” he said.

California on Monday reported about 308,820 new COVID-19 infections. According to state health officials, more than 600,000 COVID-19 tests are being administered daily, with a total number of cases in the state surpassing 6 million, the Times reported.

Despite the surge, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer expressed optimism about moving forward while implementing COVID-19 precautions.

“While it is true that Omicron is much more infectious than previous COVID strains, there are many effective strategies available for reducing transmission risks over the next few weeks,” Ferrer reportedly said in a Monday statement.

“At the top of the list is avoiding hazardous activities where people are unmasked and in close contact with others. Gatherings should also be postponed for a few weeks, especially if there are participants who are not fully vaccinated, and everyone cannot test before getting together,” she added. “Lastly, upgrading masks to those that provide a better barrier against virus particles is a commonsense step that increases our own protection along with those around us.”