Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that of the 73 COVID test specimens scrutinized over the past week, more than half were identified as “variants of concern” – 34% were a California variant and 29% a first-time variant. was found. in the United Kingdom.
“This means that 63% of the variant sequences from the past week are what we call ‘variants of care’ because they have the potential for increased transmissibility and potentially more serious disease,” she said.
Concern about the variants is growing as they can be more easily passed from person to person, and at least one study has suggested that the California variant might be slightly more resistant to current vaccines.
MORE | Experts are dispelling false information, myths about the COVID-19 vaccine
Ferrer stressed that the samples tested in the past week were not chosen from a “scientific, randomly selected sample”, so “we have to interpret the results very carefully.”
Concern about variants comes as the county reports it is not getting enough vaccines and is again prioritizing second doses. Ferrer said the province received about 280,000 doses this week.
“ We are back again with only second doses because we simply did not receive enough vaccine to meet all second dose allocations, continue our commitment to our federally qualified health centers and community partners in hard-hit communities, and to continue our efforts. open at our large-capacity locations for first-dose appointments, ”Ferrer said.
“We have more than 600,000 appointment units available this week. More than half are not open because we don’t have doses,” she said.
RELATED: LA County Eyes Take to the Orange Level Even As Concerns Grows About COVID-19 Variants, Spring Break
Meanwhile, local officials continue to urge vaccine-eligible residents to get vaccinated.
Magic Johnson, Arsenio Hall and Danny Trejo were at USC to receive one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines on camera. LA Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas carried out the shots at Johnson, Hall and Trejo on a city-run site on the USC University Park campus to specifically encourage people in South LA to get the vaccine.
“I am so happy to be here with Danny and my 40 year old friend Arsenio Hall to take this vaccination because it is so important. I did everything the right way, put on my mask and cleaned my hands all the time I “ looks like I took a COVID-19 test every two weeks, ” said Johnson, who got the Pfizer vaccine.
Johnson, Trejo and Hall, referred to as the “New LA Dream Team” by Mayor Eric Garcetti, were joined by County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, City Councilor Curren Price and Ferrer to urge the South LA community to get vaccinated.
“Decades of systemic racism and an unequal distribution of the very resources that support good health have left these communities particularly vulnerable to the pandemic,” Ferrer said. “To address the stark injustice exposed by this pandemic, vaccine rollout must be laser-focused on addressing justice issues and considerations for reducing barriers to vaccination.”
City News Service contributed to this service.
Copyright © 2021 KABC-TV. All rights reserved.