On Wednesday, health officials in Los Angeles reported that over 25% of new Covid-19 cases include people who are fully vaccinated.
While breakthrough cases are expected, this increase is 5% higher than what we saw in June. From July 1 to July 16, the county diagnosed 13,598 cases, 3,592 of which were fully vaccinated people.
15 people died on Wednesday and the county reported that 891 people were hospitalized due to the virus.
Los Angeles health officials are following other states in encouraging vaccinated people to wear masks indoors again.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer explained that cases among the unvaccinated are rising at a higher rate.
As more people are vaccinated the number of fully vaccinated people becoming infected will increase and with the Delta variant that’s far more infectious, exposures to infections have also increased.
Barbara Ferrer
Since the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing COVID, it’s still possible to contract the disease, however, the vaccines make it highly unlikely that one would become seriously ill.
Approximately 83% of current COVID cases are from the delta variant. It has become more contagious and is spreading across the country, mainly affecting unvaccinated populations.