The recent surge of the Delta variant has resulted in a doubling of people being hospitalized. Getty Images

“We send our deepest condolences to everyone across our County mourning a family member or friend who has passed away due to COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The significant increase in hospitalizations is of great concern. With the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, we are hopeful that more people will get vaccinated during this time of very high transmission.”

As of Monday, August 9, Public Health reported five new deaths and stated 2,919 new cases of COVID-19. There were 1,437 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with 16% of nearly 7,520,000 individuals testing positive with symptoms.

Public Health identified 1,329,262 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,783 deaths. Cases across the Southland: Los Angeles County shows 1,259,922 cases, Long Beach with 57,263 cases and Pasadena with 12,077 cases.

According to race and ethnicity, COVID-19 statistics show: American Indian/Alaska Native with 2,133; Asian with 60,201; Black with 56,362; Hispanic/Latino with 660,055; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander with 4,627; White with 146,179; those of other race and ethnicity with 107,117 and 223,248 under investigation.

The recent surge of the Delta variant has resulted in a doubling of people being hospitalized. Public health reported there were 1,437 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized compared to July 26, where there were 745 people hospitalized with COVID-19. It was also reported the majority of the hospitalized were unvaccinated people, with hospitalizations among vaccinated people remaining low.

Public health is urging persons 12 and older, living or working in L.A. County, to get vaccinated. Vaccinations are available throughout L.A. County at multiple sites and are open on weekends with evening hours. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

“Throughout this pandemic, people who live with chronic illnesses have suffered serious outcomes of COVID-19 infection,” said Ferrer. “Because chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity dramatically increase the risk of getting severely ill or dying with COVID-19 infection, vaccination is particularly important for people living with these conditions. Everyone eligible for vaccination is urged to get vaccinated, especially if you have any chronic health conditions. Please talk with your healthcare provider if you have concerns about getting vaccinated.”

For more detailed information on COVID-19 vaccination plans in L.A. County and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com

For more information and statistics on COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

*Los Angeles County Department of Public Health http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

*California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html

*World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

*LA County residents can also call 2-1-1