"This is a virus we are going to have to learn to live with," says CDC director while in South LA

The Centers for Disease Control director visited a South Los Angeles vaccine clinic as daily COVID-19 cases top 3,000, the first time since February. 

L.A. County health director Barbara Ferrer and other county health officials joined Dr. Rochelle Walensky on the tour of the clinic in between meetings about the state of the pandemic. 

Although hospitalizations are as low as they have ever been and deaths are trending down to about 350 a day, Walensky said the country has not entered an endemic just yet.   

"I like to consider an endemic when we are in a steady state," said Walensky. "We still have rising cases, so I am not ready to call it that but I do think this is a virus we are going to have to learn to live with."

She added that those who had been infected with Omicron can still contract the BA-2 and BA-2-121 variants. She emphasized the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness. 

Walensky also talked about the one-month review in place to learn how the CDC can improve its response after some criticized the organization's initial COVID response.