California courts are scaling back in-person operations and delaying trials once again as the state’s COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise due to the spread of the omicron variant.

The changes come after many courts last fall began easing restrictions that had been in place since 2020 to limit the spread of the virus. Now with transmission rates soaring to historic highs, employee absences are growing in some places and court leaders are reducing the number of jurors and litigants summoned to courthouses.