Public Health Reports 49 New Deaths and 4,311 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County
Key Indicators Show COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening in L.A. County
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) continues to see troubling increases in key indicators, including daily new cases, hospitalizations, and test positivity rates.
Today, Public Health has confirmed 49 new deaths and 4,311 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health identified 378,323 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 7,543 deaths.
The County’s daily cases of COVID-19 has sharply increased. From November 1 to today, the 7-day average of daily reported cases increased from 1,393 to 4,381.
The County’s daily test positivity rate increased significantly from 3.9% on November 1 to 7.3% today.
With increasing cases, sadly comes increased suffering as we see hospitalizations sharply increasing. There are 1,682 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25% of these people are in the ICU. On November 1, the average daily number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 was 791. The daily number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased nearly every day since the beginning of November.
Effective today, Wednesday, November 25 at 10:00 p.m., restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars will only be able to offer take-out, drive thru, and delivery services. Wineries and breweries may continue their retail operations adhering to current protocols. In person dining will not be allowed, at minimum, for the next three weeks. As referenced in the November 17 County press release, once L.A. County reaches a five-day average case rate over 4,500 new cases, the County will adopt additional safety measures to reduce transmission of the virus.
“It is a tragedy that we have come to this point. I am keenly aware that suspending outdoor dining will have a detrimental impact on our small businesses,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “But I’ve said time and time again that I will listen to our public health experts – and their recommendation is clear. None of us want to see this closure, but it is necessary to protect our collective well-being. In the First District, since the beginning of the crisis, there have been 97,962 positive cases of COVID-19. We cannot succumb to the false dichotomy between the health of our economy and that of the public. They are intrinsically linked and addressing the surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is necessary to halt any long-term economic damage that can result from overwhelmed hospitals, sick employees, and safety net programs stretched thin. Our healthcare workers are exhausted, our essential workers are severely impacted, and while our residents are as well, this is a critical juncture requiring decisive action and a steadfast commitment to safety. I know our residents will once again slow the spread of COVID-19 and its destructive economic consequences. We have come so far – and I am calling on all of us to continue that work. It will save lives.”
With accelerated COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations, the County may tragically experience increases in people passing away from COVID-19. These last two days, L.A. County has experienced high number of COVID-19 deaths, an average of 50 deaths per day. Public Health is monitoring the number of people passing away closely. COVID-19 deaths reflect transmission that occurred several weeks ago.
Because people who are infected with COVID-19 can unknowingly spread the disease to many others, including those who have underlying health conditions with increased risk for serious illness and death, Public Health requires everyone to always wear face coverings when out in public and strongly recommends everyone stay home as much as possible.
“Our hearts go out to everyone facing the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19. Our thoughts are also with all of our healthcare workers, who are skillfully caring for the sick among us,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The alarming increase in cases is not due to random events out of our control. Many of these cases could have been prevented if individuals and businesses were following the straightforward public health measures of masking, distancing and infection control. Unless we unite behind the belief that each of us has a responsibility to protect others, we will face a devastating holiday season. Our choices matter and following the rules that reduce virus transmission is the only way to get back to slowing the spread. Please celebrate Thanksgiving only with the people you live with. And let us give thanks to all those who are protecting others, especially our healthcare workers, and the many, many businesses and individuals who have spent the last months doing their part to be safe.”
Of the 49 new deaths reported today, 18 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 16 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, eight people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Forty-three people who died had underlying health conditions including 18 people over the age of 80 years old, 16 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, one person between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 29. Four deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.
Ninety-three percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 7,118 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 52% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 24% among White residents, 14% among Asian residents, 9% 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, 122 cases and three deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.
Testing results are available for more than 3,625,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.
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.
