On April 1, 2022, Los Angeles County Health officials reported 1,167 new COVID infections, significantly higher than the 784 reported March 31. Samples from wastewater treatment plants across the County showed an increase in virus concentration from mid-March in the Western San Fernando Valley, central Los Angles County, and West Los Angeles.
The BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, accounting for 32% of cases that underwent specialized sequencing to identify mutations of the virus for the week ending March 12.
That was nearly double the rate from the previous week, said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. She urged residents to stop putting off their booster shots. Mask-wearing, while no longer required in most settings, is still strongly recommended by health officials. Masks also remain mandatory in health-care settings, and aboard public transit, including airports and airplanes.
Cumulatively, Los Angels County has had slightly less than three million infections since March of 202o, a total of 2,834,317 cases of COVID. The overall death toll is 31,683.
While BA.2 is driving infections, there has bee no notable increase in hospitalizations, and only 47 COVID patients in Los Angeles County are currently in intensive care.
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