Los Angeles County announced another 326 COVID-19 cases Tuesday and three extra deaths, albeit the numbers are probably low because of postponements in revealing test results over the holiday week.
The area has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases every day over the previous week. More than 600 were reported Saturday. In mid-June, the county was recording daily case numbers in the low-200s.
The new cases announced Tuesday lifted the countywide combined total from throughout the pandemic to 1,253,065. Another three COVID-19 deaths were reported Tuesday, increasing the county’s death toll from the virus to 24,507.
“We keep on finding in where there are high paces of COVID-19 immunizations, transmission of COVID-19 has plunged and stays low,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
“While immunization rates keep on expanding all through L.A. Area, COVID-19 and variations of concern like the Delta variation stay a danger to everybody unvaccinated. L.A. District has of late seen expansions in cases, hospitalizations, and day by day test positivity and individuals that are overpowering experiencing COVID-19, are individuals who are not immunized.”
“The most ideal approach to secure those not ready to get immunized, including the 1.3 million youngsters under 12 years old, is to encompass them with vaccinated people,” she said.
“With rising local area transmission, we as of now have noted expanded cases happening among even our most youthful youngsters. In the event that you are 12 or more older and around more young children, kindly set aside time soon to get vaccinated in the event that you have not yet done as such. How about we keep on keeping each other safe.”
In a bid to highlight the effectiveness of vaccines, health officials Tuesday highlighted that infections among residents and staff at skilled nursing facilities have dropped since the early days of the pandemic when such locations were hotbeds of virus spread.
According to the Department of Public Health, nearly 30,000 COVID-19 tests were carried out among residents and staff during the week ending June 20, and only seven people tested positive. In the last week of December, 2,532 residents and staff tested positive for the virus at nursing facilities.
An estimated 84% of skilled nursing facility residents and staff have now been fully vaccinated.
As per state figures, there were 275 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County as of Tuesday, up slightly from 273 on Monday. There were 73 people in intensive care, up from 65 on Monday.
According to health officials, the county’s recent rise in daily infections and testing-positivity are being fueled by the spread of COVID-19 variants, particularly the more contagious Delta variant. They added that with four million residents in LA County still unvaccinated — including 1.3 million children who aren’t eligible for shots — there is enough risk for the variant to pose a significant threat.
Delta has also become California’s most identified strain of the coronavirus, accounting for 35.6% of the variants analyzed in June, a massive increase from May, when the number was just 5.6%, the California Department of Public Health said.
