Los Angeles COVID update today: surge in LA County cases could lead to more restrictions

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Health officials warn that the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County will lead to more hospitalizations and potentially deaths, adding that if the numbers continue to rise, the county could be forced to impose more restrictions on public activity.

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“If collectively we do not manage to stop the acceleration of new cases, we will have no other choice but to consider additional actions,” said departmental director of public health Barbara Ferrer on Thursday. “Across the country, elected officials and public health officials are making new demands to prevent health care systems from overwhelming.

“ We’ve been there, just four months ago, and we’ve worked really hard to find ourselves in a place where our health was protected and where our road to recovery could continue, and I know that none of we don’t want to back down, ” “What leaves us with an option, and that is to make good choices that reflect the reality of life during a pandemic.”

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The warning came on a day the county reported 2,533 more new cases of the coronavirus and Long Beach health officials added 45 and Pasadena announced 19, bringing the cumulative total in the county to 330,514. Ferrer said noted that as of October 3, the county was averaging 988 new cases per day, but last week the average had risen to 1,464.

“Put simply, this is an increase of over 33% in daily cases, and we have seen no recent signs of a decrease in the number of our cases,” she said.

The county’s recent test-positivity rate is also on the rise, from a daily seven-day average of 3.6% in early October to 4.4% last week, to 5.9% on Thursday. Hospitalizations are also increasing, with 953 coronavirus patients on Thursday, marking two consecutive days out of 900.

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The only metric that has not yet increased is the average number of deaths, which stands at 10, the lowest since the early days of the pandemic, ” Ferrer said.

“Sadly, the continuing decline in deaths is unlikely to continue, as we know that the increase in cases and hospitalizations will actually influence the number of deaths we are experiencing here in the county, and it is likely in the weeks to come.” come that our number of deaths also increase, ” she said.

The county reported seven more deaths on Thursday, although two of those deaths were actually announced by officials in Long Beach on Wednesday. The cumulative death toll across the county was 7,221 as of Thursday.

Ferrer again warned that the upcoming holidays would pose a high risk of virus transmission, especially if people hold gatherings indoors with friends and family. She also warned that testing negative for the virus did not mean a rally was safe to attend.

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“We hear from people telling us that they’re going to go to the party this weekend and now they’re all going to go get tested today so they can go to the party,” Ferrer said. the strategy does not work. When you test today and you are negative, you are only negative today. Your actions over the weekend really don’t offer anyone around you any protection from the fact that you may have converted and turned positive and are capable of spreading the virus. ”

The county has issued guidelines for small gatherings, saying residents can get together with people from two other households. But these gatherings must be held outdoors with distance and face masks.

These rules apply to Thanksgiving dinners. The county also discourages people from traveling during the holidays, but those who do should investigate any travel restrictions placed on their destination, and they should quarantine for 14 days upon their return to Los Angeles County, a Ferrer said.

The county remains stuck in the most restrictive level of state’s four-level economic reopening guidelines, and Ferrer said that likely wouldn’t change for “the next few weeks.”

“I don’t think that’s where we planned to be as we head into fall and winter,” she said. “It’s not just that our recovery journey is stuck, it’s also that we now have some very tough choices ahead of us as we head into Thanksgiving and the winter vacation.”

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