A Regular Test Revealed That She Had Been Infected
Mayor Karen Bass has tested positive for Coronavirus, and her office has made an official announcement. The Mayor has commented via her Twitter account, “Last night, I tested positive for COVID-19 following a routine test. I’m feeling fine and will continue to work from home and follow public health guidelines.”
The Mayor’s office issued a statement that said, “Last night, Mayor Karen Bass tested positive for COVID-19 following a routine test. The Mayor is feeling fine and will continue to work remotely as she follows public health guidelines. Mayor Bass is vaccinated and boosted.”
As a reminder, Los Angeles County Health has issued a statement reminding residents that Covid infections tend to rise as the summer starts since people travel and congregate. Keeping vigilant is key to avoiding the virus and staying healthy.
The statement says that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) encourages people to take common-sense measures while traveling to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19, especially at this time of year, when case rates and hospitalizations typically have risen.
For the past three years, Los Angeles County has experienced a significant increase in transmission between June and August, peak summer months when increased travel, celebrations, and gatherings have contributed to summer surges. Protective measures, such as handwashing, testing, and staying home when sick, are essential to dampen the spread of COVID-19.
Although data shows that COVID-19 transmission remains low in Los Angeles County, across the course of the pandemic, COVID hospitalizations, an indicator of COVID-19’s impact on the community, have increased during summer months, coinciding with school breaks and summer vacations.
During the first year of the pandemic, COVID-19 hospitalizations rose 40 percent between June 1, 2020, and August 1, 2020. The next year, despite hospitalizations reaching a pandemic-low in June of 2021 at an average of 218 hospitalizations per day, Los Angeles County saw a summer surge during which hospitalizations increased by nearly 300 percent between June 1 and August 1. In 2022 the hospitalization increase was over 150 percent during the same summer months.
As of June 4, 2023, the 7-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County was 226, one of the lowest hospitalization averages since the pandemic began.
Any COVID-19 infection brings risks, including the risk of long COVID and the chance that the virus may be spread to someone who is more at risk for severe illness. At the very least, summer gatherings and travel plans can be disrupted. To reduce risks during travel, Public Health urges all residents to take simple precautions, including staying home when sick, masking while using public transportation, and testing if a person is experiencing respiratory symptoms or has been exposed to COVID-19. For added protection, it is also recommended that people traveling together are up to date on COVID vaccines before departure.
