Authorities also reported 14,669 new cases of COVID-19 and an additional 253 deaths, bringing the county total to 1,003,923 cases and 13,741 deaths.
Of the 238 deaths, excluding those in Long Beach and Pasadena – which have their own health departments – 81 were over 80, 92 were between 65 and 79, 49 were between 50 and 64, 12 were between 30 and 49, and four people were between 18 and 29 years old.
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The number of coronavirus patients in municipal hospitals has remained unchanged since Friday at 7,597, with 22% in the ICU. After reaching a peak of almost 8,000, hospitalizations have been declining gradually over the past few days.
The municipality has a total of approximately 2,500 licensed ICU beds.
But health officials warned that the number of hospitals could increase significantly again due to the number of people infected during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The county continued to see a high number of new daily cases, which always translates into more people being hospitalized.
Although the 1 million number represents about a tenth of the general population, the model released by the county this week estimated that up to a third of residents were infected at some point, probably without ever knowing.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the first case of variant B.1.1.7 of COVID-19 in an individual who recently spent time in Los Angeles County. The individual is a man who traveled to Oregon, where he is currently isolating himself.
The variant was confirmed by Quest Laboratories in Washington State.
Although it is the first confirmed case of the variant in Los Angeles County, public health officials here believe the strain is already spreading in the community and are continuing to test samples.
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“The presence of the UK variant in Los Angeles County is worrying, as our health care system is already severely overburdened, with more than 7,500 people hospitalized at the moment,” said director of public health Barbara Ferrer. ” Our community is suffering from the rising winter, experiencing a large number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, five times what we experienced during the summer. This more contagious variant makes it easier to spread infections in the workplace, in stores and in our homes.
“We are in the middle of a public health emergency, so please do everything you can to protect yourself and those you love. If you are forced to work outside the home, make sure your workplace comply with all mandatory safety guidelines, no crowding anywhere, protective equipment and facial cover provided as needed and infection control measures fully implemented.For those who can, this is the time to stay away from all members they’re not family, and when you’re supposed to be around other people, always keep your distance and use a face cover. Wash your hands every hour and clean the surfaces you touch often several times a day. We need to use the tools available to prevent each other from being infected
The new strain does not make people sick, but it is transmitted much more easily, which means it can spread quickly through the population.
Meanwhile, the county is working to increase vaccination efforts, with plans to open five large-scale vaccination sites on Tuesday. These will be in addition to the large piece of land opened by the city hall at Dodger Stadium on Friday, and 75 smaller sites that the county is already operating.
The big question now is the availability of vaccines.
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Dr. Paul Simon, director of sciences for the county’s Department of Public Health, said that as of Thursday, the county had administered more than 279,000 total doses of vaccine to health professionals and staff and specialized nursing residents and health care facilities. long term . He said the county administered 44% of the vaccines it received for use as first doses in the two-dose regimen, along with 30% of those intended for use as a second dose.
“The remaining doses have been distributed to our vaccination partners or have been allocated for use in the coming weeks,” said Simon.
Simon said he sympathized with people frustrated by the slow pace of vaccine administration – especially among people 65 and older, who are already receiving vaccines in other jurisdictions that are more deeply in the distribution process. Los Angeles County does not expect vaccinations for these people until at least February, as it is expected to take until then to finish vaccinating health workers.
“We also want to expand vaccinations as quickly as possible for those 65 and older,” said Simon. “The main barrier at the moment is the lack of adequate vaccine supply. We are very hopeful that an additional vaccine will arrive soon so that we can start vaccinating the elderly in the coming weeks. We recognize that the elderly and others are understandably anxious and, in many cases, frustrated by the delay in receiving the vaccine. Know that we are committed to expanding access to the vaccine as soon as possible. ”
The city’s news service contributed to this report.
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