COVID deaths in L.A. County surpass 25,000

3,239 new COVID cases announced in LA County yesterday along with 35 completely unnecessary and preventable deaths.  Positivity rate drops once again.  Hospitalizations rise once again.

• LA County Cases 1,362,848 (up from 1,359,672)
• LA County Deaths 25,002 (up from 24,967)
• LA Positivity rate 3.74% (down from 3.85%)
• LA Hospitalizations 1790 (up from 1679)

We hit another milestone.   LA County has now lost over 25,000 people to COVID.  The single day death toll of 35 souls yesterday is among the higher ones in recent weeks.    It was expected because we know the drill now – rises in infections leads to rises in hospitalizations leads to rises in fatalities. 

COVID DEATHS SURPASS 25,000 IN LA COUNTY

The hardest part about hearing about 35 deaths yesterday is knowing that they were preventable.   Who were these 35 souls?  Why did they resists getting two vaccinations and saving their lives?  Were they poor?  Uneducated?  Overworked and no time for a vaccine?  Distrustful?  Defiant?   MAGA?  Whatever their reasons – whether reluctance or defiance – they are gone now.  Snuffed out by an uncaring virus. 

LOOKING BACK OVER THE PAST 2 MONTHS

An average of 19 Angelenos have died from COVID per day over the last week.   That is 10 times the daily death count that was recorded the week . ending on June 15th – when we lifted COVID restrictions on businesses. 

Back in mid June, we were recording 173 new COVID cases per day.  Today, the county of Los Angeles has reported an average of 3,478 new cases per day. 

In LA County, unvaccinated persons across all age groups are 3-4 times more likely to become infected than vaccinated residents.    And here in LA – unvaccinated adults ages 18-49 are 25 times more likely to be hospitalized than the vaccinated.    Among those adults over the age of 50, unvaccinated residents are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized than the vaccinated. 

With facts and figures showing these great and tragic disparities, why would you hesitate getting vaccinated?  

HOSPITALS IN MOSTLY RED STATES ARE SHIPPING PATIENTS OUT

Many overwhelmed hospitals with no beds left – are putting critically ill COVID patients in planes, helicopters and ambulances to transport them 100’s of miles away to an available bed.   The surge in Delta cases coupled to low vaccination rates in rural and mostly Red State areas has pushed hospitals over the brink of manageability. 

The USA has more than 75,000 people in hospital beds today.   Florida, Arkansas, Oregon, Hawaii, Mississippi and Louisiana have also set new records on hospitalizations. 

In Arizona, a special COVID 19 hotline is getting desperate calls from hospitals in Wyoming, Arkansas and Texas in search of beds. 

In Kansas, sick COVID patients at a small rural hospital are waiting an average of nearly 10 hours to be flown somewhere else.  Patients are being flown to Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado and parts of Texas.

VACCINATIONS SOAR

On the upside of all this, more than ONE MILLION Americans received a dose of COVID vaccine yesterday – a benchmark that we have not hit for nearly seven weeks.  This means a 31% increase in vaccines this past week in those getting fully vaccinated.  Yesterday’s numbers also included 562,000 “newbies” getting their first shots. 

So it appears that the message is breaking through.   Begrudgingly, some GOP leaders are grumbling that they have been vaccinated and “of course” encourage everyone to get vaccinated.   Just no government mandates!  That’s the distinction. 

Really?

Because there would be something wrong with mandating life saving action to keep our communities safe and Americans alive?   You have twisted yourself into such a Gordian Knot rather than say what is becoming more clear every day:   “You were wrong.   Your politics infected your reason.   You are responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths”.   There.  Said it. 

A very cool day in August – 79 degrees with coastal fog.   This is an example of weather envied around the world.   Let the cool ocean breezes and warm sun shimmer across our faces…..

TGIF