LA County Reports More Than 1,000 New COVID Cases For The Fifth Day In A Row

For the fifth day in a row, L.A. County public health officials say they've recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases.

The total reported today tops 1,100 confirmed cases, along with 12 additional deaths from the virus. That also means the county's weekly test positivity rate is on the rise — it's now just under 5%, nearly double what it was last week.

Hospitalizations, which have been sharply declining since the rollout of the vaccines, are also slowly climbing.

Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the county's Health and Human Resources Department, told county supervisors Tuesday morning that it's clear who is now getting sick.

"To date, we have not yet had a patient admitted to a [county] hospital who has been fully vaccinated with either the J&J, Pfizer, or Moderna vaccine," she said. "Every single patient who that we've admitted for COVID has been not yet fully vaccinated."

Dr. Muntu Davis, the county's public health officer, emphasized that hospital workers are now reporting younger COVID patients in need of intensive care.

"We're seeing an increase, especially in our 30-to-49 year olds," he said, "so the threat of having more people in the hospital, I think, is daunting."

There are currently 376 COVID patients in L.A. County hospitals — a nearly 25% increase compared to last week.

All of this points back to a dramatic drop in demand for vaccines. The county gave out slightly more than 40,000 shots last week, a far cry from its weekly goal of 100,000 doses.