Public Health officials have reported five more deaths and 2,232 new COVID-19 cases today. To date, that raises the Los Angeles Department of Public Health’s figures to 1,403,053 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County and a total of 25,245 deaths. There are 1,678 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 453 are in intensive care units, according to state figures.
Testing results are available for more than 8,066,000 people, with 16% testing positive. Saturday’s daily test positivity rate was 2.3%. Particularly concerning to Public Health officials this week is a trend in rising case rates among children who aren’t yet eligible to get the vaccine as well as other unvaccinated people.
“Case, hospitalization and death rates are higher among unvaccinated members of all groups than they are among those vaccinated,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “Vaccinated people continue to have rates for all outcomes that are many-fold lower than those unvaccinated—they are four to eight times less likely to be hospitalized, and five to seven times less likely to die from an infection.,” she said.
“During this period of high transmission, protecting those younger than 12 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, is of utmost importance and we can all take as many precautions as feasible to limit risk of transmission,” said Ferrer.