LA County Reports 1,586 New COVID-19 Cases, 29 Deaths
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Tuesday reported 1,586 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 29 new deaths, bringing countywide totals to 302,077 cases and 7,027 deaths.
Health officials said the spread of COVID-19 throughout the county has increased since the beginning of the month, and was a cause for concern. At the start of October, the county averaged under 1,000 cases per day.
Of the 29 new deaths reported, 14 people were over the age of 80, eight were between the ages of 65 and 79, four were between the ages of 50 and 64, two were between the ages of 30 and 49 and one was between the ages of 18 and 29. Twenty-two people who died had underlying health conditions.
In the past week, health officials said compliance teams had observed many instances of restaurant customers not following required infection control protocols while watching sporting events, such as the World Series, on television.
"We continue to warn about the dangers of gatherings and public celebrations because these events create many opportunities for COVID-19 transmission," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said.
"We encourage all fans to watch and celebrate the World Series safely at home with members of your household and not in gatherings of any size, especially where people are cheering, yelling, and congregating in close distance without face coverings. Those situations increase the possibility for the virus to spread, putting you and your loved ones at risk."
Those who choose to watch games at restaurants, breweries and wineries should wear face coverings while not eating or drinking and should refrain from gathering around televisions.
From Oct. 12-18, public health inspectors issued 48 citations to businesses including restaurants, hotels, gyms and places of worship for noncompliance with local health orders. Since the end of August, a total of 194 citations have been issued.
With testing results available for more than 3,046,000 people, the county's overall positivity rate was holding steady at 9%. A total of 747 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, 27% of whom were being treated in intensive care units.
