Public Health Reports 53 New Deaths and 3,628 New Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

High case numbers are reflective of a backlog of positive results due to a resolution in the State reporting system that affected the past few days of reported data

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 53 new deaths and 3,628 new cases of COVID-19. The higher case numbers are, in part, due to a resolution in the State of California electronic lab system and inclusion of backlogged positive results. Younger adults still make up the majority of new positive cases with 76% of new cases today occurring in people under 50 years old, of which 54% of new cases were among people under the age of 30.

Public Health is reporting 2,016 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 30% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. There are a total of 2,598 confirmed and suspect cases that are currently hospitalized and 15% of these people are on ventilators. The hospitalization data is incomplete due to changes in reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This resulted in historical data from eight non-reporting hospitals not included in today’s update.

To date, Public Health has identified 172,325 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 4,351 deaths.

Of the 53 new deaths, 21 people that passed away (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were over the age of 80, 14 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 12 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Forty-six people had underlying health conditions including 16 people over the age of 80 years old, 13 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 12 people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and five people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Cumulatively, 92% percent of people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 4,063 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 48% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 25% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 11% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 60 cases and two deaths reported earlier were not LA County residents.

Testing results are available for 1,621,670 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

“To the families that are grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, we send you our deepest sympathies and prayers to you every day. We’re also thinking of the many people who are hospitalized, sick and recovering from this virus,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I know these are frustrating times and that we want life to return to normal. We want to join our friends for dinner inside a restaurant and gather with extended family for a summer barbeque. Unfortunately, we just are not at a point where those activities are safe. We need to commit to the behaviors that we know will reduce our infection rate and slow the spread of the virus. In order to stay safe, we need to continue wearing face coverings, avoiding gatherings with people we don’t live with, we need to wash our hands frequently, and keep physical distance from others. These are effective tools, that when used consistently, reduce transmission of the virus and save lives.”

Public Health is asking business owners to adhere to the Health Officer Order and renew their commitment to infectious disease control measures. They are urged to take immediate action to implement strategies that protect workers and customers. The Health Officer Order mandates all indoor operations at many businesses must be suspended. This includes the closure of indoor operations at restaurants, houses of worship, gyms and fitness centers, museums, hair salons and barbershops and personal care services. Flagrant violations of the Health Officer Order can result in citations, fines, and the full closure of non-compliant facilities.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.

Public Health has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you are positive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public health specialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at 1-833-540-0473. Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 211 for resources or more information.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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