New Coronavirus Cases Reach Summer Surge Levels In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA — New coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County topped 2,000 Thursday, a level not seen since the summer spike that taxed hospital resources and prompted a statewide shutdown.

A surging outbreak heading into the months of holiday gatherings and flu season is not where county officials had hope to be at his point. Cold weather means people spend more time indoors where coronavirus spreads more easily. Cold and flu season means more people are coughing and sneezing, sending the virus airborne. And the holidays mean more family get-togethers, all of which combines to make for super-spreading events, health officials worry.

Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the county Department of Public Health, said the number of newly confirmed cases was expected to be about 2,065 Thursday.

"These are the highest numbers of reported cases we've seen since early July," Simon said. "Again, it's not a rapid increase, but it's been kind of a slow, steady increase."

The county on Wednesday reported 1,843 new cases of COVID-19, saying that figure was the highest seen since late August, outside of sporadically higher reports that involved backlogs of testing results.

Echoing concerns expressed by local health officials over the past few weeks, Simon noted that Los Angeles County's recent rise in case numbers is likely due in large part to residents gathering with people outside their own households, either at private get-togethers or at restaurants.

He said the county has no immediate plans to implement any sweeping shutdowns or other restrictions, but health officials will be watching the numbers closely.

"I think if we continue to see very slow, gradual increases, we may be willing to live with it," Simon said. "We're not going to do anything drastic at this point. We are, though, trying to intensify our messaging around discouraging gatherings. ... We think that's probably an important contributor.

"We understand people are getting very tired of this COVID world, and we hope that in the new year there will be some new strategies that will help us control spread," he said. "But for the time being, definitely through the Thanksgiving and December holiday season, New Year, we really are discouraging the gatherings outside your household."

Simon said the county's recent case increases have not matched the "surges being reported in other parts of the country," where some have declared the onset of a "third wave" of COVID-19.

"We do worry with the colder weather, more people being inside, the fatigue, people wanting to socialize more, with the holidays coming -- all of that creates a mix of circumstances that could lead to an accelerating increase. We hope that does not happen."

Simon raised some eyebrows during his online media briefing when he was asked about a proposal being considered in the Bay Area that would require residents who travel to other parts of the country over the holidays to quarantine for 14 days when they return.

Surprisingly, Simon said Los Angeles County actually already has such a recommendation on the books, although its not a requirement. Simon acknowledged that the recommendation probably isn't very well known.

"There are so many guidance documents, sometimes these things get buried. That is a recommendation," he said. "We can make something a requirement, but at the end of the day it's only as effective as the degree to which there's adherence to it."

Simon said the county would be reporting another 25 coronavirus- related deaths Thursday, along with 825 hospitalizations. The hospital number topped 800 on Wednesday for the first time since September, although the count is still down from the peak of more than 2,000 daily hospitalizations in July.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.