In San Francisco, new cases have nearly doubled over the past month. Much of that is probably driven by the BA.2 subvariant, which now accounts for a majority of new coronavirus cases in the United States.
“It is worrisome,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told The San Francisco Chronicle. “We have this thing coming, and we don’t know how it will impact the population.”
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said he was hopeful that the increase in cases wouldn’t lead to a jump in hospitalizations and deaths. The growth in cases was somewhat expected after officials began relaxing public health measures in recent months.
“Right now we’re watching it very, very carefully,” Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week.” “And there is concern that it’s going up. But hopefully we’re not going to see increased severity.”
On Monday, Philadelphia officials announced they would reinstate an indoor mask mandate in an effort to get ahead of a possible surge. In 27 states, coronavirus infections have increased over the past 14 days, according to data collected by The Times.
Fauci stressed that catching Covid comes with serious risks even if you don’t end up hospitalized, such as significant illness and long Covid. But he said people needed to make their own decisions about the risks they were willing to take.
“This is not going to be eradicated, and it’s not going to be eliminated,” he said. “And what’s going to happen is that we’re going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions.”
For more:
What we’re drinking
California wines that turned despair into deliciousness.
Where we’re traveling
Today’s tip comes from Jackie Leventhal, who recommends the Point Richmond neighborhood in the Bay Area:
“The East Bay’s hidden waterfront city offers spectacular three-bridge views, hiking trails, marinas, restaurants and cafes. The San Francisco Bay Trail, for bikes and pedestrians, runs several miles through Point Richmond providing access to the historic downtown.
The Municipal Natatorium, also known locally as the Plunge, is a landmark pool built in 1926. It is twice the size of an Olympic pool and the walls are decorated with murals.
The fairies of Point Richmond live in miniature custom-built homes on the tree trunks along Washington Avenue and sprinkled throughout other places. Keep walking to the Wave Garden with many succulent plants and great views of the San Francisco Bay.
Nearby there is a public beach in an undeveloped setting where you can picnic on the benches and watch the pelicans and sea gulls. It’s a lovely outing to a place it seems time forgot.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
Tell us
What’s the best part of spring in California? Email us at CAToday@nytimes.com and your submission may be included in a future newsletter.
And before you go, some good news
You can now check out passes to California state parks at your local library.
A new state initiative allows Californians to pick up free one-day vehicle passes, typically $10, for more than 200 state parks.
“We invite you to take your family and friends, and go walk among the tallest trees in the world, or spend some time on the California coast,” the California state parks director, Armando Quintero, said in a video posted to Twitter. “Or just go out for a picnic with family and friends for your enjoyment, and also for your physical and mental health.”
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya
P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Her album “21” is in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (5 letters).
Mariel Wamsley and Jonah Candelario contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.