Public Health inspectors find many newly reopened restaurants not in compliance
Los Angeles County surpassed a total of 17,057 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday. The county has seen more than 7,000 new COVID-19 deaths in a little over a month — on Dec. 30, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 10,000 COVID-19 deaths. By comparison, deaths between February and October totaled 7,000.
On Tuesday, Public Health confirmed 205 new deaths and 3,763 cases of COVID-19.
“More than 72% of all our COVID-19 deaths occurred in people 65 years old or older,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health. “Given the high mortality rates among older individuals, please do not make appointments for vaccinations if it is not your turn. Help us make sure that our most vulnerable elderly residents are prioritized for the limited available vaccine.”
The number of daily new cases continues to decline but health officials caution that the number of new cases remains substantially higher than the number of cases seen in September, which were less than 1,000 new cases a day. Tuesday’s daily test positivity rate is 10%.
There are 5,259 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, 27% in the ICU. The three-day average for daily hospitalizations is 5,328.
With additional sectors open, including outdoor dining, Public Health inspectors are going out to make sure businesses comply with the health officer order. During these visits, inspectors review public health protocols with business owners, identify deficiencies, and issue citations for businesses out of compliance. During Public Health’s recent business compliance checks, “inspectors noted the many newly reopened restaurants were not in compliance with employee face-covering and shelter structure requirements,” officials said in a statement. From Jan. 24–27, a total of 48 citations were issued to businesses including restaurants, gyms, personal care salons, hair salons/barbershops, and shopping malls for noncompliance with public health orders. Since the end of August, a total of 844 citations have been issued.
