California's Reopening During Delta Variant Strain

July 21, 2021

What does the recent return of COVID-19 in California tell us? As reported by the LA Times article, "Are the COVID Surge and Delta Variant Putting California's Reopening At Risk? What We Know", despite the alarming rise in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks, officials mentioned that this uptick is different from what the state has endured. California's COVID-19 values are still much lower than those recorded during past surges despite the recent increase, and given how much of the population has already been vaccinated, there's reason to believe that will continue to be the case.

Officials claim that in Los Angeles County, 99% of new cases involve people who have not had their shots. At this time, the focus is more on encouraging the unvaccinated to get their shots rather than restricting the movement of vaccinated people. The full reopening of California's economy on June 15th provided a slew of new opportunities for residents to gather. However, some counties are urging even vaccinated people to take precautions to protect themselves and others given the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.

According to data obtained by The Times, the daily case averages in Orange, San Diego, L.A., and San Bernardino counties have all more than doubled in that time. The CDC has classified Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as Riverside County, as having "substantial" community transmission — the second-worst classification on the agency's four-tier scale — after all three cities recently registered seven-day case rates of more than 50 per 100,000 residents. California has reported an average of 2,937 new coronavirus infections per day during the week of July 15th, up 171% from two weeks prior. Hospitalizations have also increased by 51%.

To read the article in detail, visit: Are the COVID Surge and Delta Variant Putting California's Reopening At Risk? What We Know.