The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed six new deaths and 422 new cases of COVID-19. The lower number of deaths may reflect reporting delays over the weekend. To date, Public Health identified 1,210,663 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County and a total of 22,475 deaths.

The seven-day average number of daily cases by episode date has decreased to 550 new cases per day as of March 7. As COVID-19 case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decrease, Public Health urges residents to proceed with caution, as effective today, Monday, March 15, several business re-openings are now permitted with required safety protocols for masking, distancing and infection control.

“Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who is mourning a loved one or friend who has passed away from COVID-19. We are so sorry for your loss,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of Public Health. “Tomorrow, March 16, will mark the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19-related Health Officer Order here in LA County and, for the first time since the state created the Blueprint for a Safer Economy last summer, LA County has moved from the most restrictive purple tier to the red tier. That we are here today is not a miracle; our recovery represents the deep commitment by hundreds of thousands of individuals and many thousands of businesses to adhering to safety measures and making sacrifices to keep each other safe. I thank you, LA County. As we move forward, let’s remember that our re-openings are happening alongside holidays and spring break. Holiday traveling, gatherings indoors and large parties have in the past wrecked our recovery journey. Let’s not repeat past mistakes and let’s pledge to keep everyone alive until it is their turn to get vaccinated.”

There are 893 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Daily hospitalizations numbers continue to steadily decline.

The City of Glendale report 19,293 cases, La Cañada Flintridge reports 725 cases, Sunland reports 2,228 cases, Tujunga reports 2,837 cases and in the unincorporated portion of LA County, Angeles National Forest reports 33 cases and La Crescenta-Montrose reports 1,061 cases.

For more information, visit the Dept. of Public Health website (https://tinyurl.com/4dms3h4x).