Los Angeles County Exceeds 5,000 COVID-19 Hospitalizations as Cases Continue to Surge; Four New Cases of MIS-C in Children Reported

96 New Deaths and 16,504 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

As 96 new deaths and 16,504 new cases of COVID-19 are confirmed, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) again confirms the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in a day with 5,100 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and four additional MIS-C cases in children.

Since Monday, L.A. County has reported more than 71,000 new COVID-19 cases; an acceleration of cases never seen before in our community. As case numbers continue to surge, the total number of individuals who will become seriously ill or pass away will also increase.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to accelerate at alarming speed. Of the 5,100 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 20% of these people are in the ICU.  Today’s number reflects an increase of nearly 1,500 patients in just one week; on December 11, the daily number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 was 3,624.

Public Health is reporting four additional cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This brings the total cases of MIS-C in L.A. County to 49 children including one child death. All 49 children with MIS-C in L.A. County were hospitalized.  More than 50% of the children were treated in the ICU. Of the children with MIS-C, 27% were under the age of 5 years old, 38% were between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, and 35% were between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. Latino/Latinx children account for 73% of the reported cases.

MIS-C is an inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 and symptoms include fever that does not go away and inflamed body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. If you believe your child is displaying MIS-C symptoms, contact your primary care provider. If you do not have a primary care provider, dial 2-1-1 and L.A. County will help connect you to one.

Of the 96 new deaths reported today, 36 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 28 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 18 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Sixty-six people who died had underlying health conditions including 26 people over the age of 80 years old, 22 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, 13 people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, and five people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old. Four deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and three deaths were reported by the City of Pasadena.

To date, Public Health identified 596,721 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 8,757 deaths.

“To the many families mourning a loved one who passed away from COVID-19, our deepest condolences. And to all the people sick and hospitalized with COVID-19, we wish you a full recovery,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “I, like so many others, feel hopeful as we approach the holidays because each day we see progress with COVID-19 vaccine availability and we know the end to this pandemic is in sight. However, to underestimate this virus or figure out ways to undermine safety measures is a mistake that our community can’t afford any longer.  Our healthcare workers and essential workers depend on all of us to protect them and slow the surge. Please do not host or attend get-togethers or parties. If you are a business defying safety directives, we need you to start playing by the rules so we can keep our hospitals functional. The actions we take today will impact whether we see more or less cases of COVID-19 two weeks from now, and beyond. Let’s keep everyone we can healthy and alive until it is their turn to receive the vaccine. Instead of debating and undermining, it is time to follow the guidance and directives, because this will save lives.”

The most important action for everyone to take to stop the surge and save lives is to stay home and not mingle with others not in your household.  Only go out for work, exercise or for essential services. When you must leave your home, always wear a face covering and stay at least 6 feet away from people you do not live with at all times.  If you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, isolate immediately from your family and others. Individuals with underlying health conditions and those that are older should remain in their home and not be around others unless seeking essential health and dental care. If you are having difficulty breathing, go to an emergency room or call 911.

Businesses that are not adhering to safety protocols to protect workers and customers amplify the risk for COVID-19 spread. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online.

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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