ABC7 California COVID-19 Cases Rising Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 02 December 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC7 California COVID-19 Cases Rising Vaccination rates in L.A. County are reducing the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, say Cedars-Sinai experts. Photo by Getty Images. Cedars-Sinai physicians Michael Ben-Aderet, MD, associate director of Hospital Epidemiology, and Sam Torbati, MD, co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, recently were interviewed by ABC7 Eyewitness News and KPCC-FM program AirTalk about the possibility of a new COVID-19 surge in California. California's COVID-19 transmission rates in mid-November were surpassing those in other states that have fewer people vaccinated and fewer pandemic restrictions in place. But Ben-Aderet told ABC7 reporter Rob Hayes that California's protocols and high vaccination rates are still paying off. "We've had surges here in California, but even with the density of population in our state, with the number of people, with the big cities that we have, our mortality is significantly lower than these other places," Ben-Aderet told Hayes. Torbati told AirTalk host Larry Mantle that high vaccination rates in L.A. County are reducing the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, even as case numbers rise. "[Vaccinated] people are getting symptomatic. They're testing positive, but they're not getting sick enough to land in the hospital," Torbati said. "That's really what we want." Torbati and Ben-Aderet stressed the importance of vaccination, including booster shots for those eligible, as the approaching holidays bring an increased risk of transmission. "Around the Thanksgiving holiday and as we get into the colder season, now's the time to get [vaccinated]," Torbati told Mantle, expressing disappointment at the low demand for boosters thus far. "The booster is incredibly safe, just as safe as the initial vaccination," Ben-Aderet told KABC. "No one should have any hesitation about that." Click here for the complete story from ABC7 and the complete interview from KPCC. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release ABC7 California COVID-19 Cases Rising Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home