L.A. County Reports Continued Increases in COVID-19 Transmission

Sneezing (Photo – Tina Franklin)

L.A. County Health Department reported notable increases in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

By News Desk

While recent increases are significant, they remain considerably below last winter’s peak.

Since last week, the reported daily average of COVID-19 cases has increased by more than 25%, from 495 to 621. This number is an undercount due to the large number of home test results for COVID-19 that are not reported to Public Health. The daily average of COVID-positive hospitalizations increased by nearly 15 % over the same time period, from 604 to 686, and the Hospital Admission Level for the county, reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), increased from 6.5 to 8.3 new COVID-19 hospitalization admissions per 100,000 people for data through Dec. 16. This week Public Health is reporting a daily average of 5 deaths, an increase from 2 earlier this month on Dec. 6.

Tips

To help stem the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, residents are asked to prioritize common-sense precautions to protect themselves and others:

• Stay home if you are sick and test if you have symptoms or were exposed to COVID-19, especially when visiting with people who are more vulnerable to severe illness due to age or underlying health conditions.
• Wash your hands often; a well-fitted, high-quality mask can help protect against transmission in crowded indoor spaces, including airports, train stations or places with poor ventilation.