California warns of virus uptick, names vaccine ethics panel

SACRAMENTO » California has seen an uptick in coronavirus-related hospitalizations and intensive care admissions in the last two weeks, prompting renewed warnings Tuesday from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s top health official even as newly confirmed cases remain well belowthe recent surge across much of the nation.

While officials set up a panel that will determine who gets vaccinated once one is available, progress remained such that the state allowed seven more counties to advance to fewer business restrictions under its four-tier color-coded system. Still, three big Southern California counties including Los Angeles remain mired in the most restrictive purple category with widespread transmissions.

Los Angeles County’s health department issued an official public health advisory and a set of safety tips aimed at fans of baseball’s LA Dodgers ahead of Tuesday night’s World Series game six against the Tampa Bay Rays. It included a set of safety tips urging fans to celebrate athome or take particular precautions if they gather ingroups.

The county’s public health director on Monday said fans gathering towatch and celebrate professional sports appear to have contributed to an increase in average daily cases in October from about 940 per day to nearly 1,200 per day.

The county said Tuesday that contact tracing over the last three weeks found 55% of thosewho knew of a possible exposure to the coronavirus had attended an event or gathering where two or more people were sick.

Statewide, hospitalizations increased 4.7% over the last 14 days and intensive care cases are up 5.9% over the same period. That contrasts with more than a month of double- digit declines in both categories after the state retrenched this summer and began what officials call a “slow and stringent” approach to reopening businesses.