For the fourth straight day, Los Angeles County health officials on Monday reported more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 with 99% of them among people who are unvaccinated.
The concerning uptick in cases comes as the highly-contagious delta variant continues to circulate locally and worldwide.
“Over 99% of the COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths we are seeing are among unvaccinated individuals. Of these cases reported today, nearly 87% were under 50 years old,” Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County Public Health Director, said in a news release.
Health officials reported 1,059 new cases of COVID-19 and one death on Monday. Over the weekend, the daily numbers were also above the 1,000 mark. On Sunday, there were 1,113 new cases reported, with 1,094 cases on Saturday and 1,107 infections on Friday.
While the numbers are lower than they were at the peak of the pandemic, the climbing daily tallies are indicative of a spike in cases that has not been seen since early March. The increase is attributable to increased intermingling, the spread of more variants and summer social activities.
Ferrer said there are still about 4 million residents that have not yet been inoculated, adding that the only way to ward off the virus is to be fully vaccinated.
“As cases increase, the urgency to get more people vaccinated is rising,” Ferrer said. “All of our COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at protecting your from severe disease from COVID-19 and variants of concern like the Delta variant.”
The county continues to offer incentives to entice more residents to get vaccinated.
Through Thursday, anyone 18 and older who goes to county-run vaccination sites, L.A. City sites and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites will have a chance to win one of seven packages of concert tickets, which include a chance to see Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, and Dan and Shay at Staples Center, or box seats to four classical concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.
For those who remain hesitant to get vaccinated, the following precautions are recommended by county public health officials:
- Wear a mask at indoor public settings
- Move social gatherings outdoors if possible
- Frequently wash hands and use hand sanitizer when outside of the home
To get more information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine, visit vaccinatelacounty.com.