Long Beach health officials on Wednesday reported four more people died of COVID-19.
The city also reported another 83 people tested positive for the virus, and 67 people were in the hospital—which continues a downward trend after the state imposed stricter stay-at-home orders in late June and July.
The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Long Beach is lowering slowly, a positive sign that could bring the city closer to reopening.
Long Beach officials reported the 7-day positivity rate for the city has dropped from 9% on Monday to 7.5% as of Wednesday. The state requires that the 7-day average positivity rate stay below 8%, along with five more indicators, in order for counties to get off a state watchlist.
Even if Long Beach’s positivity rate stays below 8% for seven days as required by the state, it’s cases per 100,000 residents is currently 207, more twice what the state allows.
Since the pandemic began in March, Long Beach has reported a total of 9,878 positive cases and 199 deaths.
Of the deaths reported today, two of the people were in their 50s, one was in their 60s and one person was in their 70s. Two were associated with long-term care facilities.
The city said all of them had underlying health conditions, which could be anything from heart conditions to asthma.