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COVID-19 Cases Top 210K In LA County; Nearly 5,000 Have Died
Los Angeles County's coronavirus task force delivered its daily update on the COVID-19 pandemic. Read highlights below or watch the full video above.
Los Angeles County officials reported 1,920 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today, bringing the total to at least 210,424 cases countywide.
In total, 8,775 cases have been reported in Long Beach and 2,112 in Pasadena (those two cities operate their own health departments).
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that the overall figure is an undercount due to the backlog of cases statewide. She also provided an update about where things stand with that backlog:
"The state did finish sort of processing all of the labs that were backlogged, but now those all have to come into our system and be processed by us. So we're working expeditiously to make sure that this is going to be accurate ... we hope that some time this week we'll be able to not only report out what our backlog looked like for L.A. County accurately, but also go back over the past couple of weeks and adjust all our numbers so they reflect better what the trend has been for the past two or three weeks."
So far, 92% of those who have died had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said.
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WHAT THE LATEST NUMBERS SHOW
Ferrer said she and health officials are “cautiously optimistic” that the county’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 are working — a phrase she's employed often in previous briefings.
Daily hospitalizations decreased last week to less than 1,900 patients a day, she said, and deaths per day is currently at about 31, down from an average of 41 per day at the end of July.
(Courtesy L.A. County)
The number of daily confirmed cases has started to fall from the high of over 3,000 in mid-July to "slightly over 2,100" on Aug. 7, Ferrer said.
"We're hoping we're going to get back to a decline," she added, but noted that the backlog could lead to some adjustments in the data.
"We'll stay in the cautious space until we actually see our numbers for the past two weeks," Ferrer said.
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(Courtesy L.A. County)
NEW RULES FOR YOUTH SPORTS
Ferrer also noted the new protocols for youth sports released last week to align with state guidelines.
Sports where physical distancing can’t be observed are prohibited, though athletes and coaches can still hold gatherings for “training, conditioning and skill building,” Ferrer said, provided physical distancing can be maintained.
Sharing personal items like water bottles and uniforms is prohibited, and shared equipment should be sanitized between usage, she said. County health officials also advise regular breaks to wash or sanitize hands.
“We're hopeful that as players and coaches adjust to the new modifications, everyone's going to be able to work as a team to keep each other safe,” Ferrer said.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS AND OUR NEW REALITY:
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