LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – COVID-19 is once again spreading rapidly through Los Angeles County, with the number of reported cases nearly tripling in just one week.
Data from the city of L.A. shows which neighborhoods have seen the biggest spikes lately. Between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17, the following areas reported the most new cases:
- Melrose: 194 cases
- North Hollywood: 189 cases
- Sherman Oaks: 186 cases
- Hollywood: 166 cases
- Venice: 124 cases
- Woodland Hills: 104 cases
- Encino: 102 cases
The neighborhoods reporting the most cases last week are also some of the city’s most populous. The Los Angeles Times breaks down the number of new COVID cases per capita, which can give us another idea of where the hotspots are, including smaller communities.
While Bel Air, Beverly Crest, Beverly Hills, Crestview and Beverlywood aren’t reporting as many cases in raw numbers, L.A. Times analysis shows them reporting high numbers per capita.
Downtown and the Wholesale District have the most cases per capita of all Los Angeles neighborhoods in the past 14 days, according to the Times. (Data showing new cases reported over the weekend hasn’t yet been uploaded to the city’s COVID tracking website.)
Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, Acton, Bouquet Canyon and Hi Vista are also hotspots for new cases.
It’s not yet clear how much of L.A.’s recent spike can be attributed to the omicron variant. The delta variant is still the dominant strain in California, reports The Hill, but Los Angeles County is where the majority of the state’s omicron cases have been confirmed so far.
The Centers for Disease Control announced Monday it believes the omicron variant makes up 73% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide.