September 10, 2020
By Betti Halsell
Contributing Writer
Los Angeles public officials disclosed new information surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. County leadership acknowledged the progress in bending the curve, but they have a steadfast caution for any relapse. Los Angeles County Health Department disclosed the latest numbers surrounding coronavirus, metrics are revealing the fluctuation and stability within key roles that determine the spread of the virus. The current numbers reflect a steady decline in community transmission, public officials continue to monitor and deliberate on future steps to recovery.
There is currently wide availability to get tested for COVID-19, Supervisor Hilda Solis advised the best way to combat coronavirus is to get tested, know when to isolate, and avoid large groups. At this stage, Los Angeles is reflecting signs of stability and the curve is flattening.
The County has been measuring the severity within hospitalization, positive cases, and mortality rate. Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer shared the current status of each vital benchmark that measures the growth and decline of the virus. In the charts displayed, the data reflected a major decrease in daily reports in positive tests for coronavirus. In early part of July, there were over 2,000 daily cases, compared to the current case count of 1,000.
The new data provided on Wednesday reflects 61 deaths, 22 of these individuals were over the age of 80, 15 of them had underlining health conditions. 13 people who died were between the ages of 65-79, 10 victims had preexisting health concerns. 23 individuals were between the ages of 50-64, and 19 of them had underlining health problems. Three people who passed were between the ages of 30-49, and two of them had previous medical issues. This brings the total COVID-19 related deaths in L.A. County to 6,090.
There were 671 new COVID-19 reports. In summary, there is a total amount of 249,859 coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles region. 10,957 incidents were reported in the city of Long Beach and 2,443 cases in the city of Pasadena. Amid the unsheltered, there were 1,656 positive cases.
The relationship between COVID-19 infection and ethnicity were provided. The racial background collected from 5,728 fatal cases showed 10% were African American, 15% were Asian, slightly less than 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 51% were LatinX, 23% were White, and 1% identified as a different race or ethnicity. 92% of those who died due to COVID-19 had preexisting health concerns.
Other benchmarks that were studied included the daily rate of tests coming back positive, hospitalization, and mortality rate. The graphs revealed a decrease within the month of September. Ferrer stated, “…Our collective actions do have a life and death consequence. Celebrations, gatherings, being in large crowds, they’re never intended to harm other people, but they sometimes do result in the transmission of COVID-19.”
Ferrer explained that large groups and events that do not follow physical distancing can lead to transmission of the virus once people return to their homes. Trends are showcasing the understanding of social distancing as a collective community.