Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

LA County's Coronavirus Case Rate Doubled In A Week: 'Rethink Your Holiday Plans'

In this screenshot taken April 13, 2020, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer provides a daily update on how the county is responding to the coronavirus crisis. Screenshot via YouTube courtesy L.A. County
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

The adjusted coronavirus case rate in L.A. County has nearly doubled in the past week, from 7.6 to 13.7 new cases per 100,000 people, according to the latest figures released by the local health department.

The county is now seeing more than 3,000 new cases per day, and even with a weekend reporting lag that tends to deflate the numbers, there were nearly 2,800 new cases Monday, according to L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer. These are numbers the county hasn't seen since late July.

Ferrer said it's important for all businesses and residents to "return to the mindset we had earlier in the pandemic, where we were following the rules," echoing a travel advisory issued by the state on Friday.

"Rethink your holiday plans and cancel any plans for travel outside the region in the coming weeks. If you have plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with others who are not in your household, please make sure that you'll celebrate outdoors with only two other households. If you need to be indoors, this can only happen with members of your immediate family."

Ferrer said we have reached "a very dangerous point in the pandemic" given the increase in cases and hospitalizations. The positivity rate in L.A. County is now 5.3% compared with 3.8% last week.
Support for LAist comes from

She said because the virus has become more widespread, it is a good idea to assume you and anyone you come in contact with could be infected, even if there are no symptoms.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, with some positive news about vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, but we will not be able to get past the surge without returning immediately to some of the precautionary measures taken by residents and businesses in the past:

"There's no path forward for our recovery, until we get this pandemic back under control. A surge like the one we're experiencing is not inevitable because the weather is colder, because we are fatigued."

Ferrer said we should "honor and thank all of our essential workers" by not getting infected or passing the disease on to others.

L.A. COUNTY BY THE NUMBERS:

  • 6 new deaths
  • 7,275 deaths to date
  • 2,795 new cases
  • 342,343 cases to date
  • 1,049 hospitalized
  • 3.4 million tested

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist