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Over 16K People Have Died from COVID-19 in L.A. County
Arcadia Weekly Jan 28, 2021
San Diego State University. | Courtesy Photo
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Daily deaths from COVID-19 in L.A. County through Jan. 26. | Graph courtesy of L.A. County Public Health
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 213 new deaths and 6,592 cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s totals to 16,107 deaths and cases to 1,097,941.
Just on Saturday, L.A. County surpassed the grim milestone of more than 15,000 COVID-19 deaths. In less than one week, nearly 1,000 county residents have been reported dead from the virus.
The county passes this threshold as it is poised to once again allow outdoor dining.
“When more sectors re-open the risk of COVID-19 transmission increases, because people are interacting more with non-household members,” Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health said in a statement. “In order to avoid re-openings resulting in increases in cases, businesses and individuals need to be more diligent, not less, in following public health measures. We have a way to go before our hospitals are not stressed and fewer people die each day.”
COVID-19 deaths reflect transmission that occurred weeks earlier. Because of the recent surge in cases and hospitalizations earlier this month, the county will likely continue to experience high number of deaths a day for some time.
Of the 213 new deaths, 62 people who passed away were over the age of 80, 69 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 38 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, 24 people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29 years old, and one death is under investigation.
As of Jan. 25, there have been a total of nine deaths among the 5,569 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19. Seventy-nine percent of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 are Latina/Latinx, 9% are White, 4% are African American/Black, 4% are Asian, less than 1% are Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 2% identify with another race, and race/ethnicity was unknown or unspecified for 2%. Among the 3,405 births where there was testing information, 46 infants tested positive for the virus.
Public Health urges expecting and new moms to take extra care and remain home as much as possible to avoid exposure to COVID-19. Mothers who are sick or positive for COVID-19 and breastfeeding, should wear a mask while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, and should take care to wash their hands before touching the baby or any pump or bottle before using. If possible, someone else should feed the baby breastmilk by bottle. Public Health has detailed guidance for expecting and new moms available online.
There are 6,026 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 26% are in the ICU.
COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited. At this time, only Los Angeles County healthcare workers in Phase 1A and County residents age 65 and older are eligible to get their vaccination. When new appointments become available, residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up. On the website, you can also learn about the vaccination phases, determine when you can get vaccinated, and sign-up for the COVID-19 vaccine newsletter. For those without access to a computer or the internet, or with disabilities, a call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at (833) 540-0473.
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