Newer coronavirus subvariants ticking up in California amid concerns of winter wave
The subtypes for the new coronavirus have increased sharply since last summer, but authorities have not determined how many patients are infected
A young woman wearing a protective mask, also shown, shows an unidentified patient how to use a droplet protection device during a press conference, Friday, March 28, 2020, in Los Angeles. The patient showed no symptoms of the virus but the city decided to put him on a medical shelter in place, a measure that could last until the end of April. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
A young woman wearing a protective mask, also shown, shows an unidentified patient how to use a droplet protection device during a press conference, Friday, March 28, 2020, in Los Angeles. The patient showed no symptoms of the virus but the city decided to put him on a medical shelter in place, a measure that could last until the end of April. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the latest sign of a possible winter wave of the new coronavirus, the state of California now has more than 1.6 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 100 deaths, as state health officials reported that the number of new cases was up more than 30 percent since the first week of April.
California health officials said Friday that new hospitalizations involving an at-risk patient population jumped about 37 percent in the past week, to about 5,000.
The numbers underscore how the virus has been spreading, as officials warned of the potential for a winter wave, as the virus is more likely to spread with people who are older or sicker. Health departments are ramping up preparation for a possible winter surge, which officials say is the next major phase of the outbreak.
The state’s tally of confirmed cases surpassed 1.5 million on Thursday and reached more than 1.7 million just a day later. Officials said they were bracing for a possible surge in new cases of up to 3 million in the coming weeks.
“It’s going to be a major one,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the state’s Department of Public Health. “We’re going to have