Officials across California are sounding new alarms about a significant spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations amid a surge fueled by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

While the numbers are still well below the levels seen during the fall and winter — when some hospitals were pushed to their breaking points — the rise is still alarming for a healthcare system weary and worn thin after almost a year and a half on the pandemic’s front lines.

Many of the state’s most populous areas have seen their COVID-19 hospitalizations double over the span of a few weeks.

And overall, California has seen its total number of hospitalized coronavirus-positive patients swell from 2,981 on July 25 to 5,973 as of Sunday.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.