Local & Community
COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Surge Amid Holiday Season
Covid-19 is on the rise again.
“It will get worse before it gets better so we think January will be a more challenging month,” said Dr. Geoffrey Leung, Public Health Officer for Riverside County.
Lines for COVID-19 tests wrap around buildings and parking lots with people waiting hours to get their results, and at-home tests are selling out everywhere as cases and hospitalizations surge in the Coachella Valley and across the country.
“Many people were predicting an increase with the holidays and, in particular, with the weather getting colder that drives people indoors where it’s easier to spread infection,” said Dr. Leung. “And then with people gathering for things like Thanksgiving and holiday get-togethers, we know there’s a much higher chance of spread as well. On top of that, the new Omicron variant looks like it may be more contagious or transmissible.”
Cases in Riverside County have not been this high since August with the county averaging thousands of new cases each day.
“During the past few weeks we have seen a doubling in the number of new cases and even hospitalizations,” said Dr. Leung. “It is concerning.”
Despite that, health officials say this uptick is nowhere near the numbers of last winter.
“Although we are seeing an increase in numbers right now, we do believe we are in a much better position than we were this time last year,” said Dr. Leung. “Last year, we had four or five times as many cases and hospitalizations. We also did not have the majority of the population vaccinated… so we’re in a much better place now.”
Still, that’s no reason to let our guard down.
“As we tighten up some of our safety measures, continue to get vaccinated and boosted, and move out of the holiday season gathering season, things will start to get better,” said Dr. Leung.
Ahead of the new year, health officials continue to caution those planning to celebrate, reminding everyone that COVID-19 is still here and that precautions are still important.
“We do encourage people to continue with preventive measures, especially as we move into the new year,” said Dr. Leung. “We hope that people will celebrate safely. Especially when (gathering together), if you can have a smaller gathering for a shorter amount of time and… do it outdoors, that will significantly decrease the risk of any spread.”
By: NBC Palm Springs
December 29, 2021
Latest Instagram Posts
⚡️ TOP STORY: A man is recovering after he was struck by lightning. Firefighters battled a brush fire along Snow Creek Road, while another lightning strike in Chino Canyon sent a man to the hospital. If you hear thunder, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. #PalmSprings #Lightning #FireSafety
🚨 Chasing that year-round “summer glow”? A social media tanning trend involving the unapproved peptide melanotan-2 is raising serious safety concerns. Dermatologists say safer sunless tanning options are available. ☀️ #YourHealthToday #SkinHealth #Melanotan2 #TanningSafety
Palm Springs firefighters responded Thursday to a report of a person struck by lightning in the Chino Canyon area. The person was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Firefighters also responded to a palm tree fire in Chino Canyon that officials say was caused by an apparent lightning strike. NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese is in the neighborhood tonight knocking on doors and trying to learn more about what happened. Did you see the lightning strike? Did you hear or see anything unusual? Do you know who was struck or have information that could help us understand what happened? We’d like to hear from you. Send us a DM here or contact NBC Palm Springs if you witnessed the incident or have information to share. #PalmSprings #ChinoCanyon #Lightning #PalmSpringsNews #NBCPalmSprings CoachellaValley BreakingNews
Fred Roggin’s response? Show us the receipts! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
A $557k budget shortfall … so why do they need $11.3 million in new taxes? Are you voting Yes or No on Measure P? #therogginreport #measurep #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
School board trustee wears “FAFO” shirt to court deposition. Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
Estevan Figueroa of King’s Club Barbershop is giving back across the Coachella Valley — one haircut at a time. He and his team recently gave dozens of free haircuts to kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Cathedral City. Figueroa also provides clothing, essentials and encouragement to people in need. Inspired by lessons from his father, he’s now started a nonprofit to help even more people in the community. “Look good, feel good.” @barbercipactli Read the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com.
9 months. 5 deposition notices. 1 no-show. What is this official hiding under oath? Let us know what you think in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #jesusgonzalez #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Tim O’Brien at the Coachella Valley Firebirds training camp!!