L.A. County And California See Remarkably Low Test Positivity Numbers In Final Holiday Before Reopening – Monday Update
UPDATED on Monday: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 175 new cases of COVID-19 and just five new deaths.
Those figures are strikingly similar to Sunday’s, when 174 new cases were confirmed, along with four deaths. There is often a reporting lag on weekends, however.
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Testing results are available for more than 6,760,000 individuals with 17% of people testing positive. The 7-day average test positivity rate in Los Angeles County is 0.3%. That’s remarkably low.
Statewide on Monday, the test positivity rate was .7%. While higher than the L.A.’s number, that California data point is the lowest the state has seen since the onset of the pandemic.
For perspective, when CA Governor Gavin Newsom implemented his Blueprint for a Safer Economy restrictions during the horrific fall/winter wave of the pandemic last year, one threshold for moving out of the plan’s most restrictive tier was being below 7% average test positivity rate. At the time, that mark seemed unachievable.
Now, California as a whole is at 1/10th that rate, a truly remarkable drop.
Both state county numbers are encouraging over a holiday weekend that could prove to be the final test before the state lifts nearly all of its Covid-related restrictions on June 15.
Over the past month, Los Angeles County continues to see small declines in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, but health officials said it’s critical for people to continue getting vaccinated and maintaining safety practices, especially over the holiday weekend.
If the county and/or state do not see a spike during the next 10-14 days — the standard Covid incubation/quarantine period — it would strongly recommend proceeding with the reopening plan for the 15th.
PREVIOUSLY on Sunday: The L.A. County Department of Public released new numbers on Covid-19 on Sunday, reporting 4 new deaths and 175 confirmed positive cases with 258 current hospitalizations.
As is typical with these numbers, the amount of positive cases and deaths reported may reflect delays in the weekend reporting.
Today’s numbers bring L.A. County to a total of 24,339 and 1,243,882 confirmed cases.
PREVIOUSLY on Saturday: The L.A. County Department of Public Health released new data on Covid-19 on Saturday, reporting 7 new deaths and 220 new positive cases.
While data from the County showed that hospitalizations continue to decrease, case numbers and deaths reported may reflect delays in weekend reporting.
Today’s numbers bring L.A. County to a total of 24,338 deaths, and 1,243,712 confirmed cases.
At time of reporting, 273 County residents are hospitalized with Covid-19, 18% of whom are in the ICU. Test results have now been made available to more than 6,750,000 people, with 17% of them testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.3%.
Three of today’s new deaths were of individuals over the age of 80, with two people between the ages of 65 and 79 lost to the virus. One person who died was between 50 and 64 years of age, while another who passed was between the ages of 30 and 49.
Earlier this month, L.A. County entered the yellow (or least restrictive) tier of California’s reopening blueprint. Covid-19 vaccines are currently available to all anyone 12 and older, who is either living or working in the County. On June 15, L.A. County will join the state of California in going through a complete reopening.
Today, Public Health director Barbara Ferrer encouraged residents to celebrate Memorial Day safely. “We are all glad this Memorial Day will look so different from last Memorial Day – it’s such a relief for so many of us to be able to gather with family and friends again,” she said. “If you’re celebrating with someone elderly and they haven’t been vaccinated, celebrate safely outdoors with masks and distancing or virtually. I encourage everyone who hasn’t been vaccinated yet, to make time to get vaccinated. The vaccine provides the best protection and is keeping transmission in L.A. County low.”
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