Coronavirus metrics continue downward trend, LA County says

Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths successful Los Angeles County person continued trending downward, wellness officials said Saturday, Sept. 25, providing immoderate reassurance that higher vaccination rates and information precautions astatine Labor Day celebrations helped avert the accustomed summation successful cases experienced aft large holidays.

Health officials besides reported Saturday that Los Angeles County had moved from the “high” transmission level to the less-severe “substantial” level, based connected thresholds from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a play lawsuit complaint of 86 caller cases per 100,000 residents. To get to the adjacent lowest level — “moderate” transmission — the fig of play cases arsenic to driblet beneath 50 per 100,000.

The region reported 1,602 caller cases of COVID-19 Saturday, a flimsy summation from the time before, and 29 further deaths — and flimsy alteration from Friday. The region besides saw different flimsy diminution successful hospitalizations related to the coronavirus.

Hospitalizations person declined 17% implicit the past week’s numbers, and aft a agelong plateau, deaths person besides declined slightly.

“While we are seeing important gains successful our efforts to trim assemblage dispersed of COVID-19,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said successful a statement, “we cannot spend to beryllium complacent fixed the precise existent risks posed by this virus.”

The fig of coronavirus patients successful Los Angeles County hospitals dropped for the 24th clip successful the past 26 days connected Saturday, declining from 956 to 947, according to authorities figures.

The fig of those patients successful intensive attraction fell from 310 connected Friday to 278.

Hospitalizations related to the microorganism had reached astir 1,800 during the summertime highest fueled by the delta variant.

Saturday’s trial positivity complaint was 1.3%.

Still, with autumn present and wintertime accelerated approaching, Ferrer said, folks indispensable stay diligent.

“We inactive request to little the fig of caller cases,” she said, “so that we participate the autumn and wintertime seasons successful the champion imaginable signifier to debar the devastation we endured past year.

“We typically spot respiratory viruses flourish with the colder upwind and erstwhile we determination activities indoors,” Ferrer added. “If we rise our vaccination rate, support ourselves and others with masking, and usage expanded investigating to place radical who are infected aboriginal truthful they tin isolate and their adjacent contacts quarantine, we person a accidental to debar different wintertime surge similar we suffered past year.”

As of Sept. 19, 92% of LA County residents 65 years of property oregon older had received astatine slightest 1 dose of vaccine. And 78% of residents astatine slightest 16 years aged and 77% of residents 12 years and implicit had been partially oregon afloat vaccinated. Sixty-eight percent of residents 12 years and implicit person been afloat vaccinated.

Booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination, meanwhile, person officially go disposable successful Los Angeles County for prime residents, with national wellness officials giving last support to the further vaccine dose to bolster microorganism extortion for higher-risk groups.

“Eligible Los Angeles County residents tin statesman receiving their booster dose astatine immoderate of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine,” Ferrer said Friday. “The booster dose offers enhanced extortion for those afloat vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine six months agone who are astatine accrued hazard of getting COVID-19 and/or experiencing terrible unwellness from COVID.”

An advisory sheet for the CDC connected Thursday recommended Pfizer booster shots for radical 65 and older, those successful semipermanent attraction facilities and radical 50-64 with underlying wellness conditions, arsenic good arsenic prime radical aged 18-49 with superior wellness issues.

Booster shots are lone disposable for radical who received their 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine astatine slightest six months ago. Boosters person not yet been approved for radical who received the Moderna oregon Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Appointments for booster shots tin beryllium made done the state’s MyTurn website. Appointments tin besides beryllium made straight astatine pharmacies oregon clinics that connection Pfizer vaccines.

Ferrer has noted that the region has 1,300 fixed vaccination sites, on with 400 mobile clinics, meaning there’s a section capableness to administer 130,000 shots per day, truthful the region is well-positioned to grip request for booster shots.

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