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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 17 new deaths and 1,062 new cases of confirmed COVID-19.
To date, Public Health has identified 273,638 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,642 deaths. Upon further investigation, 77 cases and one death reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.
Hospitalizations have remained fairly steady the past couple of weeks after declining significantly since the middle of July when we experienced an average of about 2,200 hospitalizations per day. This week we averaged 717 hospitalizations per day; this is the lowest number we have seen in six months. Today, there are 698 confirmed cases hospitalized and 29% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU.
The County’s daily case numbers continue to indicate that there is still wide-spread community transmission and, as a result, keeps us in the State’s most restrictive purple tier (Tier 1) in the “Blueprint for a Safer Economy.” In order to continue on the recovery journey, the county must reduce its daily number of new cases of COVID-19.
This only happens if we each take personal responsibility to avoid transmitting the virus. Quarantining for 14 days if you have been a close contact with anyone who has a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis is an essential tool to avoid lots of spread of the virus. Unfortunately, testing does not protect you from either infecting others or becoming infected yourself; a negative test result only means you were negative at the moment your specimen was taken. There is no guarantee that 4 hours later, you aren’t infected and capable of infecting others. All tests, especially the rapid tests, can give results that are incorrect, including false negatives. Wearing a cloth face covering and keeping your distance for those not in your household are vital tools for protecting each other.
“To those who are dealing with the loss of a family member or friend, our hearts go out to you and we wish you peace during this very difficult and trying time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Our recovery journey depends on the decisions we each make every day about how to avoid transmitting the virus. We are witnessing firsthand in Washington D.C. how very easy it is for this virus to infect dozens of people in a very short time when individuals are not wearing face coverings, distancing and/or quarantining. Weekends are typically a time where we go out and enjoy time outdoors; please remember to take all precautions, avoid crowds and proceed with the knowledge that each of us is capable at any moment of becoming infected and infecting others.”
Of the 17 new deaths reported today (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), eight people that passed away were over the age of 80, seven people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, one person that passed away was between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and one person who died was between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Sixteen people had underlying health conditions including eight people over the age of 80 years old, six people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, one person between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and one person between the ages of 30 and 49 years.
Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 6,252 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.
Testing results are available for over 2,700,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.
If you are planning to enjoy the weekend away from your home, please know that public places may be crowded, and any crowded space—even if it’s outdoors—can pose health and safety risks. Your best bet is to avoid crowds. Visit public places at off hours, in the mornings or early evenings. Always stay physically distanced from anyone outside your party and wear a face covering when out in public.
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 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.
The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.