The surge in coronavirus cases that overwhelmed Los Angeles this winter was felt far less in certain, more affluent areas of the county, it was reported Sunday.
In a stark look at the disparity, the Los Angeles Times examined weekly case rates between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15 -- a period in which cases rose by 460% overall in the county -- and found that many areas experienced far smaller increases, including three areas where cases rose by less than 100%.
The Playa Del Rey area near LAX actually recorded a decrease of 25% during this period.
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Areas with smaller increases included:
- Palisades Highlands (25%)
- West Hollywood (46%)
- Agua Dulce (70%)
- Malibu (108%)
- Del Aire (150%)
- East Pasadena (167%)
- Encino (169%)
- Hollywood Hills (185%)
- Rancho Park (186%)
Those areas feature lower density housing than communities in low- income areas in South and East L.A. and the northeast San Fernando Valley, where cases skyrocketed.
Those who live in the areas cited in the Times study also tend to work in jobs that can typically accommodate remote work, unlike the lower income areas where people are heavily reliant on the service sector.
Other likely factors cited by the newspaper include the greater presence of parks and open spaces, closer proximity to the ocean and mountain trails, and more aggressive safety regulations enacted by local governments, such as mask mandates passed in Malibu and West Hollywood.
