LOS ANGELES (CNS) – The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals rose for the second straight day on Sunday, from 659 on Saturday and 630 on Friday to 672.
Of these patients, 162 were treated in the intensive care unit, up from 172 the previous day.
What you need to know
- The number of coronavirus patients in LA County’s hospitals rose for the second straight day on Sunday, from 659 on Saturday to 672
- Of the 672 patients, 162 were treated in the intensive care unit, up from 172 the previous day
- The latest numbers come as the county reported 1,118 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths on Sunday
- On Friday, the FDA approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11
The latest numbers come as the county reported 1,118 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths, bringing the total to 1,493,170 cases and 26,637 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles County’s Department of Health.
The number of cases and deaths likely reflects delays in reporting over the weekend.
About 90% of all local deaths related to COVID-19 were people with pre-existing conditions, according to the district’s health department. The most common illnesses are high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 1.1% on Friday.
“As we continue to experience significant transmissions across the county, it is important that those infected, even if they do not show any symptoms, isolate themselves from others for at least 10 days to stop the virus from spreading to others,” said the director for public health of the county Barbara Ferrer said Friday. “And anyone who has close contact with an infected person and is not vaccinated must go into quarantine and not participate in activities with others.
“This means not throwing or attending parties, going to work or school, or shopping in stores. To break the chain of transmission, those infected or exposed must do their part by staying away from others.”
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11 could come as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.
The pediatric vaccinations would be offered under an emergency permit, which would also apply to the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, as well as the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 12 to 15 years. Pfizer’s vaccine has full federal approval for those ages 16 and older.
Ferrer said Thursday that the county will have about 150,000 doses of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine on hand to start administering the shots after they’re approved.
Ferrer said there were more than 79,000 COVID cases in children aged 5-11 in the county and one death during the pandemic. About 37,000 cases have occurred in children up to 4 years of age, also with one death, and more than 89,000 cases in children between the ages of 12 and 17 with five deaths.
“Infection trends in children are following infection trends in adults, and after a recent drop in the number of cases in children, we are now seeing a small plateau in the number of cases,” Ferrer said. “For the week that ended October 10, 12% of LA County’s cases were in children ages 5-11, and children in that age group make up 9% of the county’s population.”
In Los Angeles County, 80% of residents 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 72% are fully vaccinated, Ferrer said. Of the total county’s population of 10.3 million people, including those under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination, 69% have received at least one dose and 61% are fully vaccinated.
Black residents still have the lowest vaccination rates, with only 56% receiving at least one dose. That compares to 64% of Latinos / a residents, 74% of white residents and 83% of Asians.
Younger black residents have particularly low vaccination rates, with the youngest age group being 43% with at least one dose.
Comments are closed.