For the fourth day in a row, the number of new COVID-19 infections reported in Los Angeles County topped 1,000 Monday, as health officials also noted an uptick in outbreaks and urged adherence to infection-control measures at workplaces.
Traditionally, daily COVID numbers have been dramatically low on Sundays and Mondays due to lags in reporting test results from the weekend, meaning the infection numbers are likely larger than the numbers being released by the county. The county still reported 1,113 cases on Sunday and another 1,059 Monday.
Monday’s new cases lifted the cumulative countywide number of infections since the pandemic began to 1,258,685. The county reported one additional death on Monday, raising the pandemic death toll to 24,543. According to state figures, there were 376 people hospitalized in the county due to COVID, up slightly from 372 on Sunday. There were 85 people in intensive care as of Monday, up from 82 a day earlier. The rolling seven-day average rate of people testing positive for the virus was 2.8% as of Monday, up from 2.5% on Sunday and well above the 0.3% rate from mid-June.
The recent surge in infections — which officials say are occurring almost exclusively among unvaccinated people — is blamed in large part on the highly contagious “Delta” variant of the COVID virus. The variant, which caused rampant infections across India and other parts of the world, is spreading in the United States and locally, passing more easily from person to person and carrying the potential for more severe illness.
Combining the large number of unvaccinated residents in the county — around 4 million — with the lifting of COVID health restrictions on gatherings and indoor capacity, health officials said there are far more opportunities for those residents to become infected.
With more infections come more outbreaks in residential and workplace settings. According to the county Department of Public Health, the agency as of Monday was investigating 55 ongoing outbreaks, which are considered a cluster of three or more cases. The 55 outbreaks is up 25% from the 44 being investigated a month ago. Health officials called the increase “concerning,” but noted the number is still well below the 1,130 outbreak investigations that were reported in mid-February at the height of the winter COVID surge.
But in response to the uptick, health officials again stressed that the best protection against the virus and the “Delta” variant is to get vaccinated. They also urged strict adherence to infection-control measures at workplaces, where unvaccinated workers are required to wear masks while indoors or in vehicles.
Employers also must make high-quality respirator masks, such as the N95 masks, available to unvaccinated workers. Employers also must report any cluster of three or more worksite COVID-19 cases to the Department of Public Health.
“Over 99% of the COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths we are seeing are among unvaccinated individuals,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Of the cases reported today (Monday), nearly 87% were under 50 years old. The COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective and important tool to reduce COVID-19 transmission and the spread of variants like the highly transmissible Delta variant. Getting fully vaccinated is the way we protect you, your family and our community from COVID-19 and the Delta variant.”
In hopes of encouraging more people to get vaccinated, the county is continuing to offer incentives. Through Thursday, anyone who gets vaccinated at sites operated by the county will be entered for a chance to win one of seven concert ticket prizes, including box seats at the Hollywood Bowl and tickets to Staples Center concerts including Celine Dion, Grupo Firma, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Dan+Shay.
According to the most recent figures from the Department of Public Health, among county residents age 16 and older, 69% have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 60% are fully vaccinated. The rate among Black residents, however, is only 45% with at least one dose, compared to 54% for Latino residents, 65% for white residents and 76% for Asians. Vaccination rates continue to be especially low among younger Black residents, with only 28% of those aged 18-29 vaccinated.
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Crossroads says
What a bunch of cowards!!! Walking around in fear of Death with a stupid mask on. What a Pity Regardless mask or no mask Death will Come for each one of Us stop living in Fear and Live life to the fullest
Claire says
Rex Parris is an anomaly: This is what happens when voters allow a tyrant to control their lives. Rex is saying all city workers/first responders are to be vaccinated or they are not welcomed back on the job.
Tim Scott says
Well, no one really wants to employ stupid self centered people…
It is kinda funny coming from a megalomaniac moron though.
Vic says
That is just the latest in a long string of strange statements that Rex has made. Remember when he called the nurses tyranneous cowards? Or when he went on TV to describe how a deputy had been shot in the shoulder and was in great pain, only to find out it was a total fabrication? He reprimanded a woman at his council meeting for not getting vaccinated even though she tried to explain that she had a medical condition.
Chinese birth tourism, birdie sounds, shooting homeless if they rob you. Isn’t it time for Lancaster voters to finally realize who they have elected?
Jason ZINK says
The Delta variant is far more contagious(so there will be more cases(common sense)) but far far less deadly. Are we now becoming a bunch of babies scared of getting flu or cold symptoms???? This vaccine is experimental, no one knows long term effects. More people died from bullets in the last two weeks then from Covid-19 during the same period in America. Follow the “Death Data” not Fear(cases). Don’t give up your Freedom to anyone over “overblown” Fear! Getting sick is human it’s ok, I promise it will happen many more times in our lives. Dr Faucii should be in jail for doing this to our country.
Stinger says
Zink, you have yet to say anything truthful on this subject. Every time you put up one of your public disservice claims, I have posted proof to the contrary, which you clearly do not read… or, more likely, are incapable of understanding all those durned big words. So, to put is simply: You, Jason Zink, are WRONG again! Please see your prior posts for my postings (or just use GoogleScholar on the subject matter, instead of some other idiotic trumpoid site).
As for Dr. Fauci, he is, and has been, doing his job correctly. It is not his fault that some mindless mango moron muffinheads like you are just too dense to actually listen to what he is saying and falsely place political onus on what is clearly a major public health issue. If anyone should be in jail on this, it is YOU, Zink, for consistently lying and placing public health at risk (should anybody be dumb enough to actually listen to you, that is).
Tim Scott says
Zink you are now just making stuff up. There is nowhere bear enough data yet to claim “far far less deadly.” In the bonehead states, where people like you spouting nonsense have kept vaccination rates low, hospitals are once again running out of capacity in their intensive care, and running low on ventilating equipment. That is when mortality rate soars, when the ability to access care runs out. So yes, we can expect that in places where nonsense spewers like you have had their way there will be a spike in mortality rates.
What we already know about the Delta variant is that it is affecting younger, healthier people much worse than previous variants did. What the mortality rate will turn out to be is going to depend, once again, on the availability of treatment. California should fare well. Our vaccination rates are very high, because we only have a few scattered screaming nutbags to contend with. In Missouri, where people like you are somehow “the norm” they are heading into a full blown crisis.
Fauci has no blood on his hands. Can you say the same?
RayRay says
I would pay serious money for a Pay Per View debate between Jason and Rex. Think about it. It would be a combination of Howard Stern meets Wally George meets Morton Downey Jr. meets Alex Jones meets QAnon meets AOC meets Melanie Taylor Greene.
Andy says
Sign me up for that pay per view! Zink vs. Parris. Oh my. Oh my my.
More BULL says
More scare tactics the worried the people at voting time on Newsom recall another Democrat stunt
Tim Scott says
I think it is hilarious that the GOP has actually turned a virus partisan. 99% of covid fatalities nationwide in June were people who were not vaccinated. Republicans have created a “not vaccinated because expressing muh free-dumb” thing that means the resurgence in infections and deaths is discriminantly killing almost exclusively republicans.
It’s really hard at this point not to cheer for the virus.
Democrat Dave says
Yeah COVID.
Y’see folks. Trump and Clan wanted everyone to go back to work a year ago to create herd immunity. Many would die in the process but he didn’t care.
Now, he and the followers are thinning the herd by not getting vaccinated in the orange states.
Since there will be fewer R voters next year due to COVID decimating the cult because they don’t want vaccines. Good. As it is, they are costing tax payers in those orange states millions to handle the hospital stays for those not willing to get shots.
Genius Trump wanted to take credit for the early arrival of vaccines while getting his shot in private and allowing his crew to spread the no vaccine lie for him.
Who are the Rs gonna blame for the uptick in hospitalizations and deaths of those who didn’t get shots? It’s all on the Republicans as Biden is doing whatever he can to vaccinate everyone.
Matt says
Did u happen to see the guy on Newsmaxx say u shouldn’t get the vaccine because they are against nature and pandemics are suppose to wipe people out? Incredible!!!!
Tim Scott says
He is suggesting that treatment of illness effectively disables evolution, and that allowing disease to “cull the weak” produces a stronger species. The counterargument is that biology isn’t everything, and compassion produces a stranger society that more than makes up for a slight biological disadvantage.
That said.
This latest Covid spike seems to be exclusively killing the unvaccinated, which is almost exclusively the nincompoops that are falling for the Trumpist nonsense about how refusing vaccination is a demonstration of ‘freedom.’ So, I kinda agree with Newsmaxx here. The more we just allow stupid Republicans to kill themselves, the better…both for biological AND social evolution.