“At the moment, as there is so much widespread, we recommend that people wear facial covers while they are indoors,” said Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer at a news conference on Monday. This is for people who leave home every day to work or who regularly do chores for their families, said Ferrer.
For the county, this wave was long and brutal. Every minute, an average of 10 people test positive for the virus, county health officials said on Monday. More than 932,600 people tested positive in the county during the pandemic.
There are more than 7,900 Covid-19 patients hospitalized across the county – 22% of whom are in intensive care units. In just two months, the county saw an increase of more than 1,000% in its average hospitalizations – a terrible jump that has pushed hospitals to their limit.
And last week, the county said a person died of Covid-19 every eight minutes. A total of more than 12,300 people died, county health officials said.
“The damaging impact for our families and local hospitals of this increase is the worst disaster that our county has experienced in decades,” health officials said on Monday. “And, as in other terrifying situations, the end of the wave only happens when more people and companies take control and do the right thing.”
As Los Angeles approaches the one-year mark of its first known positive case in Covid-19, the numerous quotes and closings from companies where major outbreaks have occurred have been insufficient because adequate measures are not being taken at an individual level like many residents are “failing to protect each other,” said Ferrer.
“Now is not the time to get together with friends at his home to watch the game,” said Ferrer in a statement. “This is no time to go for a walk without a mask.”
“One mistake is enough and soon five, 10 or 20 others will be infected – many of whom may be friends, family or colleagues.”
