It's not a 'surge' by any means, but COVID-19 transmission continues to be widespread across Los Angeles County, the public health director said.
In hopes of countering those lapses, the county monitors concentrations of COVID in four wastewater systems across the area. The most recent results show that the average concentration of the virus found in most of those systems has risen sharply, with two of them showing nearly double the rate from two weeks ago, and a third showing a sharp upward rise. But the fourth system monitored actually showed a small decrease.
She also noted upticks in outbreaks at homeless shelters and skilled nursing facilities, along with previously noted rises in cases among school students and staff following spring break. But now, there's another variant to worry about. Experts had previously identified an offshoot of BA.2 that has been dubbed BA.2.12.1, and it is now rapidly increasing its grip. That new offshoot was detected in 7% of L.A. County infections that underwent testing during the week that ended April 9 -- up from 3% the previous week.
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