Another three dozen coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday by Los Angeles County health officials, who again issued a call for people get a flu shot and continue taking precautions against the spread of infection.
The county Department of Public Health reported 38 new virus deaths, but two of those fatalities were actually announced Wednesday afternoon by health officials in Long Beach. The new deaths lifted the countywide total since the start of the pandemic to 6,324.
Another 1,160 cases were also announced by the county, while Long Beach added 68 cases and Pasadena health officials reported four. The cumulative total stood at 257,343 as of Wednesday.
A total of 780 people were hospitalized due to the virus, down from 804 on Wednesday.
Health officials issued another call for residents to be immunized against the flu, noting that thousands of people nationally are hospitalized every year due to influenza, and with the coronavirus pandemic continuing, hospitals could easily become overwhelmed.
Public health director Barbara Ferrer urged residents to continue taking all basic precautions to avoid becoming ill.
“As many residents are spending more time indoors to avoid the poor air quality, I remind everyone to take precautions to minimize COVID-19 spread if you are indoors with others,” she said in a statement. “Please remember to distance from other people, wear a face covering and wash your hands frequently and to clean high-touch surfaces often if around others who are at high risk. It is important to continue to isolate from others if you are sick and to get tested for COVID-19 if you were exposed or have symptoms.”
Ferrer said Wednesday that downward trends in the county’s coronavirus case and testing-positivity rates could allow the county to move into the next tier of the state’s economic-reopening matrix by sometime in October.
The county is in the most restrictive, or “purple,” level of the state’s four-tier virus-tracking roadmap. The county already has a low enough seven-day average testing positivity rate — around 3.2% — to move to a less- restrictive tier, but average new case numbers are still too high, currently averaging 8.1 cases per 100,000 residents. The state threshold for advancing to the “red” tier is seven cases per 100,000.
“If we don’t see a surge in cases and hospitalizations associated with activities over Labor Day and we continue to reduce our rate of community transmission over the weeks ahead, we could enter tier 2, which is a less restrictive tier, sometime in October,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer said the county is now seeing its lowest average testing- positivity rate of the pandemic.
“Last week, we saw the lowest positivity rate to date, at around 3.4%,” she said Wednesday. “This means that almost 97% of the tests that people took for COVID-19 ended up being negative. Just a month ago, in mid- August, this rate was around 5%. So we’re happy to see the progress that we’ve made and we’re very much hoping that this number continues to decrease.”
She again warned, however, that the impact of the Labor Day holiday weekend has yet to be borne out in case numbers, since the virus has a 14-day incubation period. She also said upcoming fall and winter holidays, including the start of Rosh Hashanah this weekend, could lead to setbacks if people become lax about social distancing and other preventive measures.
“The autumn and winter months are filled with special times that we all are looking forward to,” she said. “There’s many secular and religious holidays that we usually celebrate by spending time with our friends and extended family members. And the pandemic has been difficult and frustrating in many ways, including placing limits on how we can celebrate safely. I do encourage all of us to think now about how we might want to modify our plans so we can share the joy of the holidays while reducing the risk of transmitting a dangerous and sometimes deadly virus.”
As of today, the number of confirmed infections in West Hollywood has increased by five to a total of 540. As of publication, the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s website isn’t accessible, so it isn’t possible to access its database to confirm the number of people who have died of the virus. The number of people in West Hollywood who have died of COVID-19 related illnesses as of Wednesday was five.
In Beverly Hills, the number of confirmed has increased by one to 655. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in Beverly Hills on Wednesday was 12. The number of COVID-19 infection confirmed among Culver City residents remains at 377. The number of deaths on Wednesday was 29. The Health Department reports nine newly confirmed infections in Hollywood, bringing its total to 1,151. The number of deaths on Wednesday was 14. The Melrose neighborhood has seven new confirmed infections, bringing its total to date to 1,844. The number of COVID-19 related deaths on Wednesday was 70.
Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1 (833) 540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 can continue to call 211 for resources or more information.
One way the virus can be transmitted is through a cough, a sneeze or even through air that comes from the mouth when someone talks. For that reason, residents must wear face coverings when out in public and can be cited for not doing so. The citations come with a $250 fine and a $50 administrative fee.
West Hollywood residents with questions about the COVID-19 pandemic or who are looking for resources to deal with it can find answers on the City of West Hollywood’s website. Here is a list of links to sections about particular subjects and issues:
I read today that LA is considering easing some restrictions. Be warned.
Community spread has to be at -0- for at least two weeks( right?) before we can consider opening.
SF is opening bars and restaurants for indoor dining.
Wouldn’t want to be a SF resident.