LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Los Angeles County reported another 60 new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Monday. The figure marked a significant spike from Friday, when the county reported a total of 38 known cases of Omicron.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Omicron has constituted 73% of new infections last week.
Health officials have warned that the highly transmissible variant could trigger another COVID-19 winter surge. The number of outbreaks in the county increased across all sectors last week, most significantly by 118% in education.
“Evidence is mounting that for those vaccinated months ago, boosters are necessary to provide the best defense from infection with and transmission of the Omicron variant,” L.A. County Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Given the rising case numbers, the high rate of community transmission, and all the evidence that, over time, our immune systems need a boost to be able to attack the COVID virus, no one eligible should delay getting their booster dose.”