Schools experiencing jump in COVID-19 cases as BA.2 subvariant continues to circulate
As the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, Los Angeles County officials are urging residents to stay vigilant in their defenses as the pandemic continues through its third year.
In their most recent public release of coronavirus numbers in the county, they reported 973 new positive cases and 11 new deaths, 256 individuals were also hospitalized with COVID-19.
They also reported that due to the more infectious nature of the BA.2 subvariant, and the easing of mask mandates both indoors and in classrooms across the county, the positivity rate has shown a somewhat concerning jump - with 22% of people testing positive.
That number showed a much more drastic jump in L.A. County schools, which reported a 42% increase in positivity rate from 577 positive tests in the week ending April 1, to 822 positive tests for the week ending April 8.
The county's statement continued to note that in the last week there have been 11 new school-associated outbreaks -- seven of which stemmed from elementary schools, one from a middle school and three from high schools.
Officials expect that numbers will see another increase as many schools are on Spring Break, with many students and their families traveling for the holiday. They strongly encourage residents to utilize the COVID-19 prevention resources made available by both the health department and school districts.
In a public statement made Wednesday, California Public Health Director Dr. Tomás Aragón disclosed that BA.2 had become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the state California.
In the statement, Aragón said, "while COVID-19 hospitalization rates are near an all-time low, we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 transmission in some parts of the state. ... This underscores the need for Californians to remain vigilant and protect themselves and their communities by getting vaccinated and boosted."
Thus far throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles County has reported 2,848,030 positive cases and 31,830 deaths.