One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Another Unsettling Day For COVID-19 Cases In LA County — More Than 3K For First Time Since February
A sign is posted about required face coverings in Grand Central Market on July 19, 2021. A new mask mandate is in effect in L.A. County amid a troubling rise in COVID-19 cases.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
In what's shaping up to be a second summer surge of COVID-19, Los Angeles County health officials reported more than 3,000 new cases on Friday.
Another seven deaths from the virus were also reported, and the number of COVID patients in local hospitals also ticked up to 655. Four of the deaths were people between the ages of 50 and 64, the others were older.
COVID-19 Daily Update:
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) July 23, 2021
July 23, 2021
New Cases: 3,058 (1,279,171 to date)
New Deaths: 7 (24,614 to date)
Current Hospitalizations: 655 pic.twitter.com/OVnjYxSH3e
The surge is largely due to the rapid spread of the delta variant among the unvaccinated. The variant is also being blamed for "breakthrough" cases in people who are fully vaccinated, but have tested positive for the virus.
That staggering one-day case total is the first time new infections have reached that level since mid-February, when most of California was starting to come out of the deadly winter surge, and vaccines were not widely available to the general public.
Over the past four days alone, the county has confirmed more than 10,000 new cases.
By comparison, on July 1, L.A. County reported just over 500 cases that day, and fewer than 300 people were hospitalized at that time.
Sponsored message
The positivity rate for tests is now 5.2%, up from last Friday’s rate of 4.0%.
L.A. County Reports Over 3,000 New COVID-19 Cases for First Time Since February 13. 3,058 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and 7 New Deaths. https://t.co/lbamywULXe pic.twitter.com/16g93ZLEIi
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) July 23, 2021
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
