KTLA

Health officials fear Labor Day weekend gatherings, travel will fuel coronavirus spike

The unvaccinated were asked not to travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend, but many ignored that request and now health officials are concerned about a post-holiday spike in the number of coronavirus cases. 

Between Labor Day gatherings, widespread travel and kids returning to school, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows as many as 19,000 deaths are predicted nationwide by Sept. 25.

Meanwhile, the mu variant has started showing up in L.A. County. Labeled a “variant of interest” on Aug. 30 by the World Health Organization, the mu variant has been identified in 167 cases, the county Department of Public Health said in a news release Friday.

Kimberly Cheng and Jennifer Gould report for the KTLA 5 Morning News on Sept. 7, 2021.