Los Angeles Coronavirus Update: L.A. Sees Highest Number Of Daily New Cases Since August
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 1,745 new cases of COVID-19 and 19 new deaths associated with the virus on Thursday. That is the highest number of daily new cases reported since late August not associated with backlog cases.
To date, L.A. County has identified 305,070 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas and a total of 7,044 deaths.
L.A. County Sees Highest Number of New Cases Since Late-August.
Public Health Reports 19 New Deaths and 1,745 New Confirmed Cases of #COVID19 in Los Angeles County. View https://t.co/RPZp7ByEyi for more. pic.twitter.com/Pe2zi5h7Vu— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) October 29, 2020
There are 750 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has remained stable for most of September and October.
After a week in which the average daily new coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County rose from around 1,000 to just a hair under 1,600 as of Wednesday, the region’s chances of reopening under California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID guidance structure have dimmed further.
Newsom’s tiered reopening structure uses three metrics to quantify a county’s readiness to proceed. They are: case rate per 100,000; test positivity rate; and a health equity metric, which seeks to ensure that test positivity rates in a county’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods do not significantly lag behind the overall county numbers.
On Wednesday, the health department reported that new L.A. cases per 100,000 people is now at 8.0. This is an increase from the 7.6 adjusted case rate reported last week. In order to move to the next less restrictive tier, the county must reduce its daily number of new cases to 7 or fewer new cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks.
We must reduce our community transmission rates to move into Tier 2 and that requires all of us in LA County to use the tools we have, every single day.
– Face coverings
– Physical distancing
– Hand washing
– Isolation
– Self-Quarantine
– No indoor gatherings
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) October 20, 2020
Newsom on Wednesday said the state’s COVID-19 numbers have been trending “slightly up.” But it’s actually a little more dire than that. The state’s 7-day rolling average of daily new cases on Wednesday was 4,393, according to the governor. The number of daily cases reported on Thursday was 4,191. Those numbers contrast with most recent the single-day low of 2,666 seen October 13.
The 14-day test positivity rate was up to 2.9% on Wednesday. It was 3.2% for the seven-day average. That’s as testing is going up, which is not a good sign. Normally, as more tests are given positivity rates fall. If they’re going up, it indicates growing or undetected infections.
Newsom reported a 4.7% rise in hospitalizations over the past seven days and a 5.2% rise in ICU admissions over the same period.
See the governor’s tiered rankings and requirements below.
NEW: California is launching a Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
It’s simple.
Your county will be assigned a color based on:
– Case rate
– Positivity rateYour color determines how businesses can operate in your county.
Find your color & what’s open ➡️ https://t.co/xtXFwVeWc2 pic.twitter.com/fFXR7rbtU1
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 28, 2020
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