Los Angeles County has issued a recent warning that COVID-19 cases, and in particular the Delta variant, throughout the county are on the rise. African Americans in particular are suffering the effects of the virus more than other communities at an alarming rate and are encouraged to get vaccinated.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare officials said, “The virus is highly contagious and that it spreads quickly and can cause a more severe illness than previous strands of the virus.” They recently provided data that indicates members of the African American community are suffering more than any other community from the effects of COVID-19. In the past eight weeks, they have seen 117 new COVID-19 cases and the numbers continue to rise.
Public Health researchers are finding that people infected with the Delta variant are almost twice as likely to be hospitalized as those who are infected with the Alpha variant. The unvaccinated population is at an even greater risk.
For the first time in months, cases are on the rise with more people going to the hospital, and those within the Black and Brown communities, and other communities of color are being most affected.
While health officials don’t believe that the new variant will cause another massive outbreak of the virus, health experts believe it will cause an increase in COVID-19 cases in communities where vaccination rates are lower, posing the most serious risk to those who are older, sicker and unvaccinated.
Throughout California, the Delta variant is on the rise and is responsible for 38% of new cases as of the end of June. This is up from 5.6% of new cases in May, according to the State’s public health department. In Los Angeles County, the Delta variant is spreading like wildfire. The Delta variant made up nearly 50% of new COVID-19 cases in L.A. County; four weeks earlier, it was less than 5%.
Dr. Elaine Batchlor, president and CEO of MLKCH said, “If you’ve been waiting to get your COVID vaccine, now is the time to stop waiting and do it. COVID vaccines are powerful weapons to protect yourself and prevent the continued spread of COVID in our community, including the Delta variant. The Delta variant is spreading quickly and can cause more severe illness. Unfortunately, the Black community is lagging behind in COVID vaccination and as a result, is experiencing higher rates of infection and hospitalization. Let’s not allow this terrible disease to decimate our community again.”
People are also reminded that the following are high-risk setting for COVID-19
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health now recommends that all people wear face masks when indoors regardless of one’s vaccination status.
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