U.S. Los Angeles COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations surpass last winter levels

People shop at a store during Black Friday in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Nov. 25, 2022. (Xinhua)

Los Angeles County witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported seven-day average of deaths per day from two weeks ago, according to the County Public Health Department.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise in Los Angeles County, in the western U.S. state of California, surpassing numbers seen at this time last year.

The L.A. County remains in the High Community Level based on the designation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The county witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported seven-day average of deaths per day from two weeks ago, according to the County Public Health Department.

This milestone is a somber reminder of the nearly 34,400 lives lost in L.A. County since the pandemic began, said the department.

Although the number of reported COVID-19 cases declined slightly in the county, they remain more than 120 percent higher than numbers observed one month ago and wastewater data reaffirms that transmission of COVID is currently high.

The county is facing the threat of "tridemic" of COVID surge, a bad flu season and a burgeoning number of RSV cases, staining hospitals and medical staff.

Public health officials are urging the public to update their COVID-19 boosters and flu shots, masking indoors, testing before gatherings, and staying home when sick to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season.