L.A. County Reports 11 New Covid-19 Deaths And 3,318 New Positive Cases; Hospitalizations Up 45% In One Week – Deadline

On Saturday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 11 new deaths from Covid-19, along with 3,318 new positive cases and 1,008 hospitalizations.

Public Health said that hospitalizations are up 45% since last Saturday. 23% of those currently hospitalized are in the ICU.

The number of deaths and confirmed cases reported today may reflect delays in weekend reporting. But today’s data brings the County to a total of 24,682 deaths and 1,300,313 positive cases.

Covid test results have now been made available to more than 7,322,000 people, with 16% testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 6.1%.

Three of today’s new deaths were of people over the age of 80. Three people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, while an additional three were between 50 and 64 years of age. The other two people who passed away were between the ages of 30 and 49.

On Saturday, Public Health reiterated that Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging across the county and the country, also noting the efficacy of vaccines in combating the virus.

“The data overwhelmingly shows the vaccines to be effective at preventing serious illness that causes hospitalization, and death. To really beat back transmission, however, we need to have higher levels of vaccination, particularly among our younger residents,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “The tragic reality is that almost every single person hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 is unvaccinated and these hospitalizations and deaths are, for the most part, preventable.

“We recognize that many teens and young adults that have not yet been vaccinated have heard or read that the vaccines aren’t safe and that COVID causes only mild illness. Neither is true,” added Ferrer. “Almost 25,000 LA County residents have died from COVID-19, and COVID is now the leading cause of death. And the three authorized vaccines used in the United States have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.”

Covid vaccines remain available to L.A. residents and workers 12 years and older.

L.A. County’s health order, requiring residents to mask up in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, remains in effect, after being reintroduced on July 17.