LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County reported nearly 10,000 new coronavirus cases Friday as the highly infectious omicron variant spread across California.
The county reported 9,988 new cases, compared to 8,633 on Thursday and 6,509 on Wednesday. Cases have been rising dramatically this week. On Tuesday, the county was recording only 3,052 cases.
Officials also said the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate in L.A. County stands at 9.6%, up from 4.6% on Tuesday.
Counties across the state are seeing cases spike.
According to data released Thursday by the California Department of Public Health, at least three California health systems have reported that omicron appears to account for 50% to 70% of new cases.
Officials stressed that full sequencing of the cases is still being done and did not identify the areas where omicron was spreading fastest. Additionally, the state said, clinical and wastewater data suggest omicron is now spreading in most parts of California.
Officials said they hope to avoid new lockdown rules and believe the best chance of controlling omicron is with vaccinations and booster shots as well as safety protocol such as indoor mask wearing.
California measures include a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces and a requirement for workers in healthcare and high-risk congregate settings to get a booster vaccine dose, as well as plans to provide rapid tests for students in K-12 public schools and expand hours at busy screening sites.
USC announced Friday that classes will take place remotely for the first week of the next term, and students and staff will also be required to show proof of COVID booster shots as soon as they are eligible.
The announcement comes a week after USC officials said they were considering a remote start when classes begin Jan. 10.
Earlier this week, seven of the nine University of California undergraduate campuses announced they would begin the next term remotely after UC President Michael V. Drake asked chancellors for each site to implement plans for a safe return amid a serious spread of the omicron variant. The variant is fueling surges in cases across the state.
USC will keep residence halls open on Jan. 6, but all students will need to test negative for COVID before moving into campus housing and before in-person instruction resumes.
Federal health officials said Monday the omicron variant is now the dominant version of the coronavirus nationwide, accounting for an estimated 73% of new infections last week.
“Get vaccinated; get boosted; wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high-risk community transmission; and take a test before you gather,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing, however, has been difficult for some. Recent heavy demand has left residents facing empty store shelves or contending with long lines at screening sites.
A winter storm that blew into the Southland on Thursday further exacerbated the problem, forcing some testing and vaccine sites to head indoors or close.
And the surge isn’t just in L.A. In San Francisco, public health officials said the local case rate has tripled, which they called “a clear indication that we have entered the fifth surge in the pandemic.”
“Omicron is rapidly spreading, and all evidence points to the fact that we need to do more to protect ourselves and others from infection,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of health, said in a statement Thursday. “Boosters are key right now for your own protection and those you love. We also want people to celebrate the holidays more safely and with an extra dose of caution.”
Early data from England, Scotland, Denmark and South Africa suggest that an omicron infection resulted in a 40% to 70% reduced need for hospitalization compared with the delta variant.
There’s also no evidence that people who are vaccinated and have received a booster shot are getting severely ill with omicron, unless they have a significantly weakened immune system.
Omicron’s ultra-contagious nature means an extraordinarily high number of people could get infected in a short time.
And even if a lower percentage needs hospital care, a high number of infections happening at once could strain hospital systems, particularly in areas where vaccination rates are low.
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(L.A.Times staff writer Shelby Grad contributed to this report.)
