3,058 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and 7 New Deaths

The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health (Public Health) confirms 3,058 new cases of COVID-19, marking the third day in a row with more than 2,500 cases reported in a day. Over the last four days more than 10,000 cases were reported.

There are 655 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized – an increase of more than 200 people in one week. Last Friday, there were 452 people hospitalized with COVID-19 illness.

Today’s (Friday’s) test positivity rate is 5.2%, an increase from last Friday’s rate of 4.0%.

Of the seven new deaths reported today (Friday), one person who died was over the age of 80, one person who passed was between the ages of 65 and 79, and four people who passed were between the ages of 50 and 64. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,279,171 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County and a total of 24,614 deaths. Testing results are available for more than 7,230,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive.

As transmission accelerates in LA County, Public Health cautions that unvaccinated people are becoming infected at five times the rate of transmission of just one month ago.

Those who are eligible for a vaccine but have not yet been vaccinated should consider getting vaccinated now. Fully vaccinated people remain well protected from severe illness and death from COVID-19 and known variants of concern like the Delta variant.

Because of the intensity of COVID-19 transmission in LA County, masks are required for everyone 2 years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public places to prevent COVID-19 spread.Residents should be aware of certain places where COVID-19 can spread more easily, including:

• Indoors and closed spaces.
• Crowded places with many people nearby.
• Close contact settings especially where people are talking, shouting, or singing (or breathing heavily) close together.

Knowing which situations are riskier can help you to assess your risk and take steps to protect yourself in different situations.

“To the families that are experiencing the profound grief of losing a loved one to COVID-19, we send our deepest condolences and wish you healing,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of Public Health. “If we didn’t have 5.3 million people fully vaccinated in LA County, we would probably be seeing almost double the number of cases today. As cases continue to rise, many of us are trying to figure out what steps to take to minimize exposure to the virus. For those eligible and not yet vaccinated, now would be an important time to get your vaccine because our three vaccines all offer a lot of protection to the vaccinated person and also slow down the spread. For everyone, common sense precautions including masking when indoors, frequent handwashing, and avoiding crowds will reduce your risk while allowing you to continue to enjoy the activities you love.”

The City of Glendale reports 20,922 cases, the City of La Cañada Flintridge reports 807 cases, Sunland reports 2,373 cases, Tujunga reports 3,044 cases and, in the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County, Angeles National Forest reports 33 cases and La Crescenta-Montrose reports 1,165 cases.

Public Health tracks the impact of COVID-19 on expecting and new moms and newborns. As of July 20, there are 10,614 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19; an increase of 213 cases from the previous week.

Twelve pregnant women positive for COVID-19 passed away.

Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding can choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine with any of the three vaccines. Those who are an expecting mom or new mom and have questions about getting vaccinated should speak with their healthcare provider. While a conversation with their healthcare provider may be helpful, it is not required prior to vaccination.

Through Thursday, July 29 at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of tickets to an array of concerts presented by AEG.

To find nearby vaccination site, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). Those who don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or are over 65 can call (833) 540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit for those homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions people can take to protect themselves, their family and their community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.