Los Angeles in 'dangerous phase' as virus cases surge

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coronavirus cases have surged to record levels in the Los Angeles area, putting the nation’s largest county in “an alarming and dangerous phase” that if not reversed could overwhelm intensive care units and usher in more sweeping closures, health officials said Wednesday.

The situation is so uncertain organizers of the 2021 Rose Parade in Pasadena canceled the New Year's Day tradition for the first time in 75 years out of concern that even six months from now infections could spread among participants and the hundreds of thousands who line the route.

That move came two days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom shut bars and indoor dining statewide, and ordered closures of hair salons, gyms, malls and other indoor businesses in Los Angeles and other counties experiencing the most significant surge of virus cases.

In Los Angeles County, where 10 million people live, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said further restrictions are “on the table” if trend lines continue to show that hospitals could become overwhelmed.

“Do we want to go back to a safer-at-home order where close everything down again? Absolutely not. None of us want to go back there,” Ferrer said. She said people must wear masks and maintain social distancing to slow the spread.

Los Angeles County, home to a quarter of the state’s population, reported 2,758 more confirmed cases on Wednesday and 44 deaths. The county's overall death total is just under 4,000.

Statewide there were 11,126 new cases on Wednesday and 140 deaths, the second-highest one-day totals.

The infection rate among those tested in LA County has been rising and now is nearly 10%, and the three-day average of hospital patients is above 2,000 for the first time. Ferrer called it “an alarming and...