Just one week after BA.5 had outcompeted all other Covid strains become dominant in the U.S., a new highly-mutated Omicron subvariant has arrived which may begin the cycle all over again. BA.2.75 has a large number of mutations when compared to its sister Omicron lineages. Some of those adaptations could allow the virus to bind
Omicron
Last December 15, as the original Omicron wave gained serious momentum, California reinstituted a statewide indoor mask mandate. State Public Health Officer Tomás Aragón said the move was “to add a layer of mitigation as the Omicron variant, a Variant of Concern as labeled by the World Health Organization, increased in prevalence across California, the
Today, the more-infectious Omicron BA.5 subvariant is officially the dominant Covid strain in the U.S. Up until how, BA.5 has been tied to its sister Omicron subvariant, BA.4, as both had steadily outcompeted BA.2.12.1 — which itself had been driving cases for the past month or so. After the original Omicron variant appeared on U.S.
Residents of the vast majority of California’s 58 counties should be wearing masks, according to the CDC. That’s because 40 of those counties are now designated communities with “High” Covid levels. Less than one month ago, the number was 13. The decision to return to mandated face coverings is not up to the CDC, however,
Under current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, 13 of California’s 58 counties moved today into “high” levels of Covid and are supposed to require masks in indoor public spaces. They include some of the state’s most populous counties, like Santa Clara and Sacramento as well as some of its smallest, like Del Norte
Estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today indicate that the share of cases tied to Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 increased 79% in the past week. That means, even as the more transmissible BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant became officially dominant in the U.S. last week, it’s already being pushed out by newcomers
There’s a growing chorus from public health officials being heard across the country this week, and it consists of one just word: “Masks.” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on a Zoom with reporters today recommended, “Everyone two years of age and older should wear a mask in indoor gatherings and indoor settings
On November 9, 2021, the first case of a new Covid variant was detected in South Africa. On November 26, with cases rising across that country, the World Health Organization declared it a “variant of concern,” noting a likely increased transmissibility. They called it Omicron. By December 1, the first cases were found in the
Covid test positivity in California is up 47.6% in the past week, according to the California State data dashboard. One week ago, the 7-day daily test positivity rate was 2.1%. Today, it sits at 3.1%. That’s quite a jump for a metric that is averaged over seven days to account for daily fluctuations in data
Los Angeles reported 102 Covid-related deaths today, the highest total since last March. That’s still well below the 290 deaths recorded last January, but the trend line is not good. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said today that the number of new Covid-related deaths has doubled in the past week. She also reported that
2ND UPDATE, 1:45 PM: There will be a winter’s ball on Hollywood Boulevard after all. Performances of Hamilton at the Pantages Theatre will resume on February 9 after being dark since Christmas, but Broadway in Hollywood said today that the show’s vexed run must end March 20. Hamilton performances originally were set to begin in March 2020, just
“I think for the next two weeks, we’re going to continue to see our case rates rise,” said Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on Thursday. That statement was made more ominous by the fact that, on that very day, the county recorded a record number of new daily cases for the pandemic. At
California is seeing a surge in hospitalizations, up 59% in a little over a week, and the state’s latest ensemble forecast says it’s only the beginning. On December 31, state data showed 5,835 patients hospitalized with Covid. Eight days later, the total had jumped to 9,275 — data was not published for January 1 due
The Late Late Show with James Corden is the latest show to be hit by rising Covid numbers. Corden revealed that he contracted Covid-19 and as a result the CBS late-night show will be off the show air until January 18. Corden joins his late-night slot rival Seth Meyers on the Covid bench after the
Canada’s No. 1 movie theater chain, Cineplex, has pink slipped close to 5K part-time workers given Ontario’s recent decision to close cinemas amid the Omicron surge. Cineplex closed their theaters in the Canadian province, effective today. “Because of the mandated closures of our theatre and entertainment venues across Ontario, we made the tough but necessary
Broadway box office receipts rebounded by a significant margin last week, climbing to $26 million from Christmas Week’s grim, Covid-decimated $14 million estimate. That’s an overall, week-to-week increase of 87%, and reflects a tally largely in keeping with recent pre-Christmas Week figures. Still, compared to the $43 million b.o. from the same week in a
The domestic box office is about to take a single-percentile hit as the province of Ontario, Canada, which includes box office capital Toronto, shutters theaters due to the Omicron post-holiday surge. Movie theaters will close in two days, led by the country’s No. 1 chain Cineplex which will temporarily close 67 locations and reopen as
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Monday shortened the recommended isolation and quarantine guidelines for Americans who contract or are exposed to Covid-19 from 10 to five days. The move drew swift criticism from many experts, who questioned the logic behind the decision. “I don’t think there’s any big change in science that justifies