16 New Deaths and 443 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

 

Today, Public Health has confirmed 16 new deaths and 443 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. In total, Public Health has identified 1,231,163 cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and 23,775 deaths.

Of the 16 new deaths reported today, five people that passed away were over the age of 80, four people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 and four people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49.

The best way to dramatically reduce your risk of getting infected with COVID-19 or dying from infection is to get the vaccine; all three COVID-19 vaccines are exceptionally powerful tool for preventing infection and serious illness. The more people are vaccinated, the less deaths we will suffer. Even if you had COVID-19 and recovered, you need to still get vaccinated to have complete and longer-lasting protection.

CDC recently confirmed fewer than 0.007% of the nearly 90 million Americans with full protection against the virus have been infected with COVID-19; the vaccines are working as intended. New evidence from researchers at the CDC this week show that the COVID-19 vaccination appears to be safe during pregnancy. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has also endorsed vaccination in pregnancy, based on evidence it has been evaluating over many months.

“There are many families in our County that are experiencing the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, and we extend our deepest sympathy to you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “This virus has caused havoc and pain in our County for too long. However, we now have a way forward to end the pandemic. It is more important than ever for everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to look over the information about vaccine safety and make an appointment as soon as you can. When you do, you’ll be protecting yourselves and just as importantly, you’ll be keeping yourselves healthy so you can continue to support those you love.”

There are 453 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 23% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 6,414,000 individuals with 18% of people testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.7%.

This weekend, Public Health is offering vaccinations without appointments at all County-run vaccination sites while supply lasts. Anyone 16 and older living or working in Los Angeles County can now get vaccinated without booking an appointment (teens 16 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). Registration for COVID-19 appointments will be completed on-site.

After a thorough safety review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they determined that the pause in the use of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine can be lifted and that use of the vaccine should resume. Vaccine providers in L.A. County with doses of the Janssen vaccine can resume administration of the vaccine today, provided they distribute the updated Janssen fact sheets to any recipients of the vaccine. Public Health will be posting updated safety information about the Janssen vaccine shortly.

The decision comes after CDC’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed data related to the recent reports of a rare and severe type of blood clot that occurred in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Based on their review of all available data, both the CDC and the FDA determined that the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. We are grateful to the scientists and clinicians conducting this thorough review and are confident moving forward in distributing and administering the vaccine.

More than 6,642,000 doses of vaccine had been administered in L.A. County. This includes over 4,254,000 first doses, and over 2,387,000 second doses. Overall, 48% of county residents 16 years and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, up 4% over the prior week, and 30% of residents have been fully vaccinated. 75% of those 65 years and older have received at least one dose and 60% have been fully vaccinated.

Public Health will host a Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccines on Tuesday, April 27, at 6:00 p.m. Join the town hall to learn more and hear updates. The town hall will be streamed live on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @lapublichealth. For more information and to submit a question, visit: tinyurl.com/DPHVaccineTownHall

Public Health is committed on ensuring an equitable distribution of vaccines and ensuring eligible residents and workers in hard hit communities have increased access to vaccines. For information about who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in L.A. County, how to make an appointment if it is your turn, what you will need to show at your vaccination appointment, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com  (Spanish). Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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

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