Coronavirus US: LA Lakers fans’ celebrations may have caused surge

Los Angeles Lakers fans who convened at their homes and outside the Staples Center to celebrate the team’s NBA Championship victory may have contributed to the LA County’s increase in COVID-19 cases. 

County public health director Barbara Ferrer relished in the ‘incredible spirit’ of the people in Los Angeles County but said that usual celebrations over sports ‘just don’t make sense’ during the pandemic.  

‘I think it’s really wonderful that we have both incredible teams with so much talent and also incredible spirit amongst people in L.A. County who root with their hearts and their souls for their teams to do well,’ Ferrer said, according to the Los Angeles Times. ‘The downside of this is, during a pandemic, some of the things we’ve done in the past just don’t make sense.’ 

Ferrer’s comments come as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to secure their first World Series title in 32 years. 

‘If you’ve eased up over the past few weeks as there are more opportunities for interacting with others, it’s time to go back to being extremely careful,’ she added. 

Los Angeles County has reported a seven-day average of 1,560 new coronavirus cases through Monday, the Washington Post reports. This is a dramatic jump compared to 857 on October 19. 

County public health director Barbara Ferrer praised the ‘incredible spirit’ of the people in Los Angeles County but cautioned on the celebrations as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to possibly win their first World Series in 32 years

The county, home to more than 10 million residents, has reported nearly 300,000 confirmed cases and 7,000 deaths from the coronavirus.  

Over the past week, California has had a 39 per cent increase in daily reported cases. 

The state has had at least 900,000 cases and more than 17,000 deaths.