The intensive care units of hospitals in the Los Angeles area were packed for weeks, with caregivers struggling to treat an overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients.
The holiday season, with its travels and gatherings, was seen as a major contributor to the rise in early January.
That increase is now leveling off, although the number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations remains higher than during last summer’s peak.
Health experts are cautiously optimistic, noting that the public still needs to take great precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We are now at a very good point,” says Dr. Anthony Cardillo, CEO of Mend Urgent Care. “We don’t want an inflection to go the wrong way.”
The spread of vaccines is also likely to help in the decline in new infections. Thousands of shots are fired at Dodger Stadium and other locations in the province.
The vaccination process started with those most exposed to the virus and those most at risk of developing severe symptoms.
“We know that now that we’ve vaccinated the health care providers, vaccinated the nursing home population, and thousands of people over the age of 65 who got their vaccination sequence, we’re seeing those results,” said Cardillo. “And that really contributes to this decline.”
With the easing of stay-at-home orders in California, restaurants have reopened to eat al fresco, but health officials say people should only dine with family members and others living in the same household.
And they remind everyone to stay vigilant.
“We need to maintain our sensitivity and our common sense to what is really reducing transmission of this virus.”
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