LA County Reports 1,233 New COVID-19 Cases, 24 Deaths
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday reported 1,233 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 24 deaths, bringing countywide totals to 286,183 cases and 6,834 deaths.
Of the 24 new deaths reported, two people were over the age of 80, 12 were between the ages of 65 and 79, seven were between the ages of 50 and 64 and one was between the ages of 30 and 49. Eighteen people who died had underlying health conditions.
Health officials said there were 161 new cases of COVID-19 reported in killed nursing facilities for the week of Oct. 3 — 71 among residents and 90 among staff. Of the 341 facilities in the county, 233 reported no positive cases.
Officials also reported 57 new cases among people experiencing homelessness this week, including 31 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified and included in the new case totals, and one new death. To date, the department has identified 1,889 cases among people experiencing homelessness and 45 deaths.
The county also continued to urge people to get flu shots — especially those who are elderly or who have underlying health conditions — wear face coverings, avoid crowds and wash their hands.
"We all have tools that work to limit the spread of COVID-19 and flu: wearing face coverings and keeping physical distance of at least 6 feet whenever you are out of your home and around others; frequent handwashing and; avoiding large crowds," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said. "For flu, we have the additional tool of a safe and effective vaccine. With everyone doing their part, we reduce illness and we save lives."
Also on Thursday, county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis condemned a recently released economic proposal that called for the resumption of normal activities for all but those at highest risk of contracting COVID-19.
"There's been a lot of discussion among our public heath and health sciences communities and they have unambiguously rejected this declaration, and this approach would unnecessarily sacrifice many lives," Muntu said. "There's no evidence that we in the United States are close to herd immunity, as 85 to 90% of the population is still at risk for becoming infected with COVID-19."
As of Thursday, there were 723 confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 27% of whom were being treated in intensive care units. With testing results available for more than 2,866,000 people, the county's overall positivity rate was holding steady at 9%.
