Officials also reported 14,669 new cases of COVID-19 and 253 additional deaths, bringing county totals to 1,003,923 cases and 13,741 deaths.
Of the 238 deaths, except for those in Long Beach and Pasadena – which have their own health departments – 81 were over the age of 80, 92 were between 65 and 79, 49 were between 50 and 64, 12 people 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 county hospitals remained unchanged since Friday, at 7,597, with 22% in the ICU. After reaching just over 8,000, hospitalizations have declined in recent days.
The county has a total of about 2,500 beds licensed for the ICU.
But health officials have warned that the number of hospitals could rise significantly again due to people being infected by the Christmas and New Year holidays. The county continued to see increased daily numbers of new cases, which always translates into hospitalization of several people.
Although the figure of 1 million represents about a tenth of the total population, the model released by the county this week estimated that up to a third of residents were infected at some point, most likely without ever knowing.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed the first case of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 in a person who recently spent time in Los Angeles County. The individual is a man who traveled to Oregon, where he is currently isolated.
The variant was confirmed by Quest Laboratories from Washington state.
Although it is the first confirmed case of the variant in Los Angeles County, public health officials here believe that the strain is already spreading in the community and continues to test the evidence.
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“The presence of the British variant in Los Angeles County is worrying because our health care system is already severely strained, with over 7,500 people currently hospitalized,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “Our community is enduring the hardships of growing winter, experiencing a large number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, five times higher than the one we experienced in the summer. This more contagious variant facilitates the spread of 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 required to work outside your home, make sure the workplace complies with all mandatory safety guidelines; do not crowd anywhere, ensure your protective equipment and face covering, as needed, and fully implemented infection control measures. For those who can, this is the time to stay away from all non-household members, always keep your distance and wear a face covering. Wash your hands every hour and wipe frequently touched surfaces several times a day. We need to use the tools at hand to keep each other from getting infected. “
The new strain does not make people sick, but it is transmitted much more easily, which means that it can spread quickly through the population.
Meanwhile, the county is working to step up vaccination efforts, with plans to open five large-scale vaccination sites on Tuesday. These will be in addition to the site located by the city on Dodger Stadium on Friday and 75 smaller sites that the county already operates.
The major question now is the availability of vaccines.
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Dr. Paul Simon, head of the county’s Public Health Department, said that as of Thursday, the county has administered more than 279,000 total doses of vaccine to health care workers and staff and residents of skilled health care and care institutions. long term . He said the county administered 44% of the vaccines it received for use as the first dose in the two-dose regimen, along with 30% of those intended for use as second doses.
“The remaining doses were either distributed to our partner vaccination providers or allocated for use over the next few weeks,” said Simon.
Simon said he sympathizes with people who are frustrated by the slow pace of vaccine administration – especially among people aged 65 and over who already receive vaccines in other jurisdictions that are deeper into the distribution process. Los Angeles County does not anticipate vaccinating these people until at least February, as it is expected to take a long time to complete vaccination of health care workers.
“We also want to expand vaccinations as soon as possible to people aged 65 and over,” said Simon. “The major barrier at this time is the lack of adequate vaccine intake. We hope that the additional vaccine will arrive soon, so that we can start vaccinating the elderly in the next few weeks. We recognize that older people and others are understandably anxious and, in many cases, frustrated by the delay in administering the vaccine. Please note that we are committed to expanding access to the vaccine as soon as possible. “
City News Service contributed to this report.
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