The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals fell below 2,600 Thursday, moving closer to the level that will start the clock for lifting the county’s outdoor mask-wearing mandate for large events, schools and childcare centers.
According to state figures, there were 2,597 COVID-positive patients in local hospitals as of Wednesday, down from 2,702 on Tuesday. Of those patients, 528 were being treated in intensive care, a drop from 547 a day earlier.
Hospital figures have been steadily dropping, and if the trend continues, the number could fall below 2,500 in the next day or two. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has said if the number stays below 2,500 for two consecutive weeks, the county will lift its mask mandate for outdoor “mega-events” and outdoors at schools and childcare centers.
The indoor masking mandate, however, will remain in place until much stricter criteria are met, despite the state of California lifting its indoor mask requirement for vaccinated people next week. According to Ferrer, the county’s mask rule will not be lifted until the county’s virus-transmission rate falls to the “moderate” level as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for two straight weeks, or until COVID vaccines have been available to children under 5 years old for eight weeks.
Those guidelines mean indoor masking will remain a requirement until at least March, but more likely at least April.
Reaching the CDC’s “moderate” designation requires the county to have a cumulative, seven-day new case rate of less than 50 per 100,000 residents. According to the CDC’s website, the county’s rate was 768 per 100,000 as of Wednesday. That’s down from 1,098 per 100,000 residents on Monday.
Vaccines for children under age 5 could potentially be approved by the end of the month, Ferrer said.
The county is so far sticking to that criteria, despite criticism by county Supervisor Kathryn Barger this week that the criteria was too stringent, and “not even realistic.” She said the county should align with the state to lessen confusion among residents.
The county on Wednesday reported another 103 COVID-related deaths, raising the overall death toll to 29,609.
Another 5,100 new cases were also confirmed, giving the county a pandemic total of 2,740,700.
The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 5% as of Wednesday, a rate that has been holding steady each day this week.
The county Department of Public Health also reported continued drops in infection rates among students and staff at schools. For the week ending Feb. 4, the testing-positive rate fell to 2.6% for schools, down from 4.4% a week earlier.
“The decline in positive tests and test positivity suggests that schools continue to successfully implement recommended strategies that limit spread, such as screening and response testing, ensuring compliance with isolation and quarantine requirements, following recommended infection control guidelines, and as required by the state, wearing well-fitting masks,” Ferrer said in a statement Wednesday. “As always, we are grateful for the hard work of school superintendents, labor partners and staff, parents and students to implement these strategies that promote safety at schools and help us move closer to our post-surge phase and less transmission.”
Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
if you can be taken out by a virus with a 99.8% survival rate you never stood a chance to begin with. as of Feb 12th 2022 OJ Simpson has still taken more lives than Omicron which is the anagram of MORONIC for a reason.
Politicians took two years to realize they were set up as the fall guys, now the narrative shift is happening in real time. Don’t let ‘em weasel out their malfeasance, ever. https://youtu.be/8VeeMh_GrbE
I wear a mask everywhere, even in my own home when someone comes over ….. and I keep a distance.
I’ve had Covid twice!
I’ve come to believe what I heard virologist say that wearing a mask as protection against Covid is like putting up a chain-link fence to protect yourself from mosquitos.
Democrats are moving away from masks and mandates all of a sudden because politically it is not in their favor. They pushed it for 2 years and suddenly the science has changed.
Thankful for the LA County and West Hollywood vaccine mandates.
The science hasn’t changed.
The science has changed just in time for the elections.
Omg! No. It’s still too soon people. Please everyone maintain 6 feet, mask (indoor and outdoor unless you’re seated at your table), hold your breath, and pray to the plexiglass gods. It’s not the time to let our guard down.
What creative reasons will City Hall Now create, in order to stay closed to the public ?
With the good news the levels of infection are going down,we should be still be on guard for any new COVID variants out there.This virus is still not under control and until it is,masks will still be necessary.
100% agree. I hope cases/hospitalizations keep declining.
It’s an election year and dems are trailing in polls. And suddenly the mandates are being lifted and removed.
100% correct.
It’s adorable that you believe this 😂
You celebrated the deaths of unvaccinated people. It’s over tyrant.
I never did any such thing. You have an addiction to spreading lies about me.
That and all the hypocrite liberal leaders keep getting caught with the masks off.