California counties see virus spikes; Rose Parade canceled

LOS ANGELES (AP) — School districts barred campus reopenings, the Rose Parade was canceled and San Francisco doubled down on business restrictions as California hit a near-record level of confirmed coronavirus cases amid a surging outbreak.

Hospitalizations and rates of positive COVID-19 tests also rose on Tuesday and health officers voiced concern that intensive care units could be overwhelmed in some places unless the infection rate is reduced.

The situation is in “an alarming and dangerous phase” in the Los Angeles area, Barbara Ferrer, public health director for the nation’s largest county, said Wednesday.

Her comment came two days after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that the city was "on the verge” of returning to shutting down all but essential businesses, while San Francisco on Wednesday announced it would retain its ban on indoor restaurant dining and businesses such as nail and hair salons that require close contact with customers.

The moves were a troubling indication that authorities don’t expect an early end to the COVID-19 surge after managing to slower the infection spread earlier this year.

California reported 11,126 additional confirmed cases of the virus between Monday and Tuesday and 140 deaths, the second-highest one-day totals. The largest uptick, by far, was in Los Angeles County, which has a quarter of the state’s population.

It has had well over half of California’s nearly 7,200 COVID-19 deaths.

The county on Wednesday reported more than 2,700 new COVID-19 cases and said nearly 2,200 people were hospitalized, with 26% in intensive care. Multi-day averages for newly confirmed cases and hospitalizations were at their highest rates since the pandemic was declared, the Department of Public Health said.

Health officials...