Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that of 73 copies of COVID tests that were closely examined over the past week, more than half were identified as “worrying variants”; in the United Kingdom.
“This means that 63% of last week’s variant sequences are what we call‘ variants of concern ’because they are likely to increase transmissibility and potentially more serious diseases,” he said.
Concern has been growing about variants because they are more easily transmitted from person to person, and at least one study has suggested that the California variant could be a little more resistant to current vaccines.
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Ferrer stressed that the specimens tested last week were not selected from a “scientifically and randomly selected sample,” so “we must interpret the results very carefully.”
Concern for variants arises as the county reports that not enough vaccines are being obtained and is prioritizing second doses again. Ferrer said the county received about 280,000 doses this week.
“We only did second doses again because we didn’t get enough vaccine to be able to meet all second dose assignments, continue our commitment to our federally qualified health centers and community partners in the hardest hit communities, and power to open – us in our high-capacity places for first-dose appointments, “Ferrer said.
“We have more than 600,000 time slots available this week. More than half are not open just because we don’t have doses,” he said.
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Meanwhile, local officials continue to urge residents eligible for a vaccine to be inoculated.
Magic Johnson, Arsenio Hall and Danny Trejo went to USC to receive one of the COVID-19 vaccines approved on camera. LA Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas administered the shootings at Johnson, Hall and Trejo at a city-run location on the USC University Park campus to specifically encourage people in southern Los Angeles to receive the vaccine.
“I’m very happy to be here with Danny and my friend Arsenio Hall, 40, to take this vaccine because it’s very important. I’ve been doing everything right, wearing the mask, cleaning my hands all the time. I’ve been doing a COVID-19 test it seems every two weeks, “said Johnson, who received the Pfizer vaccine.
Johnson, Trejo and Hall, christened “New LA Dream Team” by Mayor Eric Garcetti, teamed up with county supervisor Holly Mitchell, Councilman Curren Price and Ferrer to urge the southern community of Los Angeles to get vaccinated.
“Decades of systemic racism and the inequitable distribution of resources that support good health have left these communities especially vulnerable to the pandemic,” Ferrer said. “To address the severe injustice that this pandemic has exposed, the vaccine launch must focus laser on addressing equity issues and considerations to reduce barriers to vaccination.”
The city’s news service has contributed to this service.
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