LA County COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to level off following sharp rise

After weeks of dependable increases, the fig of radical hospitalized successful Los Angeles County owed to COVID-19 appeared to beryllium leveling disconnected connected Monday, Aug. 23, with an summation of lone 2 patients pursuing 4 days of declines.

According to authorities figures, determination were 1,724 COVID-positive patients successful Los Angeles County hospitals arsenic of Monday, up from 1,722 connected Sunday. The fig of patients being treated successful intensive attraction units, however, continued climbing, reaching 454 connected Monday. That’s up from 439 connected Sunday.

The region reported 7 caller COVID deaths connected Monday on with 2,331 cases. Statistics released connected Monday thin to beryllium artificially debased owed to delays successful reporting from the weekend.

The caller fatalities lifted the county’s wide decease toll owed to COVID to 25,078. Since the pandemic began, the region has confirmed 1,385,505 infections.

The rolling mean complaint of radical investigating affirmative for the microorganism was 2.8% arsenic of Monday, down from 3.4% a week ago.

Over the weekend, region wellness officials released statistic aimed astatine encouraging radical to get vaccinated against COVID. According to the county, arsenic of Aug. 7, unvaccinated adults betwixt 18 and 49 years aged were 25 times much apt to beryllium hospitalized with COVID-19 than vaccinated adults of the aforesaid age. Meanwhile, unvaccinated adults implicit property 50 were astir a twelve times much apt to beryllium hospitalized than their vaccinated counterparts, and 17 times much apt to die, according to the county.

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave afloat support to the Pfizer vaccine. It was the archetypal of the 3 U.S. vaccines to person specified approval. All 3 versions of the vaccine person been successful circulation nether an “emergency use” authorization from the FDA.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is harmless and remains the astir almighty instrumentality we person to some little our hazard of corruption and support against superior unwellness and decease from COVID-19 if infected,” region Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “The different tools to assistance trim and forestall transmission are wearing a mask, keeping your distance, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and washing your hands frequently.

“We are grateful to the galore scientists and researchers who person worked tirelessly to make and measure the vaccines during the astir challenging nationalist wellness situation of our lifetime. We are besides grateful to the FDA for their thoughtful analyses and reappraisal processes to guarantee that we tin person the highest assurance that the vaccine is harmless and effective. I anticipation the milestone of this vaccine’s afloat support gives those that were waiting to get vaccinated the assurance to present instrumentality this important step.”

The latest figures amusement that 73% of region residents property 12 and implicit person received astatine slightest 1 dose of vaccine, and 63% are afloat vaccinated. Among residents aged 65 and older, 90% person received astatine slightest 1 dose, and 80% are afloat vaccinated.

The wellness section connected Friday reminded residents astir the request to get tested if they make symptoms oregon were exposed to the microorganism — adjacent if they are afloat vaccinated. Those radical should besides isolate from others portion awaiting trial results, according to the county.

The region besides urged radical to cooperate with contact-tracers, who scope retired to those who trial affirmative oregon person been exposed. The contact-tracing process is considered important to identifying radical who whitethorn person been exposed to the microorganism without their knowledge, and to containing imaginable outbreaks.

Contact tracers tin besides supply accusation astir isolation and quarantine and however to entree services and providers.

Calls from interaction tracers volition show connected phones arsenic “LA Public Health” oregon 833-641-0305.

People who person tested affirmative for COVID-19 but person not received a telephone from interaction tracers were urged to telephone 833-540-0473.

Meanwhile, region wellness officials were taking different look astatine COVID-19 information rules for younker sports, conscionable days aft posting guidelines that mandated play investigating for players and staff, careless of vaccination status, and required mask-wearing during indoor diversion events.

The region Department of Public Health posted younker sports guidelines connected its website Friday, including the investigating mandate for “moderate risk” and “high risk” sports. Those see baseball, dodgeball, emblem football, lacrosse, tract hockey, softball, volleyball, basketball, boxing, football, hockey, rugby, shot and wrestling.

By Monday afternoon, however, the guidelines had been removed from the county’s website, seemingly undergoing further revision. It was unclear what changes mightiness beryllium made, oregon erstwhile a caller mentation of the rules mightiness beryllium released.

The antecedently released rules called for play investigating for each athletes and staff, with twice-weekly investigating “strongly recommended” for those who are unvaccinated. The rules besides required each participants to beryllium tested wrong 48 hours of immoderate “inter-team” competition, with results disposable earlier the crippled begins.

For indoor sports, participants, coaches and spectators would beryllium required to deterioration masks. Athletes would beryllium required to deterioration masks portion taking portion successful immoderate indoor sports, removing them lone temporarily to devour oregon drink. Athletes successful h2o sports specified arsenic swimming oregon h2o polo could region their masks portion successful the water.

“Given the summation successful assemblage transmission of COVID-19 and the predominance of the much easy dispersed Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, masking indoors, careless of vaccination status, is indispensable to slowing the dispersed of COVID-19 successful the community,” according to the county’s guidance. “The Delta variant of the COVID-19 microorganism spreads much easy than strains of the microorganism that circulated successful L.A. successful the past.”