Case Rate in LA County Continues to Decrease While Deaths Approach Another Grim Milestone

29 New Deaths and 1,602 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County continues to see a downward trend in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, providing some reassurance that higher vaccination rates and safety precautions at Labor Day celebrations helped avert the usual increase in cases we experience after major holidays. On September 15, the 7-day daily case average of COVID-19 was 1,476, the lowest it has been since July 14. Meanwhile, hospitalizations have declined 17% over the last week’s numbers, and after a long plateau, deaths have also declined slightly. Tragically, the number of people in LA County that have lost their lives to COVID now approaches 26,000, with a cumulative total of 25,999 deaths reported today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicators and thresholds to categorize community transmission of COVID-19, transmission in LA County has moved from “high” transmission to the “substantial” level, with a weekly case rate of 86 new cases per 100,000 residents.

With cases, hospitalizations, and deaths declining, Public Health remains focused on sustaining these gains by driving up the vaccination rates to avoid continued cycles of surges. As of September 19, 92% of LA County residents 65 years and over have received at least 1 dose of the vaccine, as have 78% of residents 16 years and over and 77% of residents 12 years and over. Sixty-eight percent of residents 12 years and over have been fully vaccinated. And while the vaccination coverage continues to slowly improve, it is clear that not everyone who is eligible for a vaccine is getting vaccinated. Given the dominance of the Delta variant, wherever there are pockets of unvaccinated people, there will continue to be spread, and unfortunately, continued transmission creates opportunities for new variants of concern to take hold that may be resistant to the current vaccines.

Today, Public Health confirms 29 new deaths and 1,602 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 29 new deaths reported today, eight people who passed away were over the age of 80, five people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, nine people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, two people who died were between that ages of 30 and 49 and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29. Three deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,452,998 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,999 deaths.

There are 947 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 8,564,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.3%.

“I want to recognize that this is a hard time for the thousands of people who are mourning the loss of a loved one. As we mark the saddest of milestones, acknowledging the loss of just under 26,000 of our LA County family and friends, we extend our thoughts and prayers to all who are grieving and remain singularly focused on ending this pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “While we are seeing important gains in our efforts to reduce community spread of COVID-19, we cannot afford to be complacent given the very real risks posed by this virus. We still need to lower the number of new cases so that we enter the fall and winter seasons in the best possible shape to avoid the devastation we endured last year. We typically see respiratory viruses flourish with the colder weather and when we move activities indoors. If we raise our vaccination rate, protect ourselves and others with masking, and use expanded testing to identify people who are infected early so they can isolate and their close contacts quarantine, we have a chance to avoid another winter surge like we suffered last year.”

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated.  Boosters are available for eligible individuals are all sites offering the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are not needed at all DPH vaccination sites where 1^st, 2^nd, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).  If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, 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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