COVID is on the rise again. The uptick was first registered in Northern California, but has also started being seen in Southern California more recently.

The new strain is driving a recent rise in cases across several states, including California. The variant, a hybrid of two omicron strains, was first detected in Southeast Asia in January. LOS ANGELES - Coronavirus cases in California and much of the U.S. are rising due to the new "Stratus" variant.