LOS ANGELES, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-related hospitalizations in Los Angeles almost doubled in just two weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread rapidly in the most populous county of the United States, local public health authorities said Monday.
There are 745 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized in Los Angeles County. Two weeks ago, on July 12, 372 people were hospitalized, said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in a press release, blaming the more aggressive Delta variant, low vaccination rates in certain communities and more intermingling of unmasked individuals.
According to the department, almost everyone hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County is unvaccinated, In June, 92 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated.
The department reported 1,966 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths, bringing its cumulative cases up to over 1,285,771 with 24,631 related deaths.
"As we continue to experience significant community transmission fueled by the Delta variant, every effort to reduce spread is important. This includes the additional layer of masking and testing protections the state health officer order requires at health care and high-risk congregate living facilities," said Barbara Ferrer, the county's director of public health.
"Every worksite in L.A. County also has an opportunity to reduce virus transmission by adhering to the requirement that all employees and customers wear their masks indoors. We need the additional protection while more individuals get vaccinated if we want to get back to low rates of transmission," she added.
Los Angeles County returned to mandatory mask-wearing indoors earlier this month due to increased COVID-19 transmission. All residents in the county now are required to wear masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of their vaccination status. Enditem
