On Monday, October 11, The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reported 8 new deaths and stated 826 new cases of COVID-19. There were 656 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with 15% of nearly 8,794,000 individuals testing positive with symptoms.
As the holidays loom on the horizon, with Halloween kicking off the season, health authorities are urging for caution. Even with statistics seeing a drop in infection rates and an increase in vaccinated individuals, we’re still in a battle. In an interview with CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned for everyone to stay vigilant.
“It’s certainly going in the right direction,” said Fauci about Covid statistics. “We have to just be careful that we don’t prematurely declare victory.”
He continued, “You want to look forward to holiday seasons, spending time with your family and doing those sorts of things.
“We do want to celebrate and look forward to the fact that we are going in the right direction but if you look at the history of the surges and diminutions, in cases over a period of time, they can bounce back.
“We don’t want to always be on edge that it’s going to happen because it won’t if we do what we should be doing, namely, particularly, getting more people vaccinated.”
Health authorities are asking families to celebrate Halloween in outside spaces. As the weather cools down, more people are staying inside, which can encourage transmission of the virus. Fauci shared being vaccinated would add a degree of protection but staying outdoors and being safe will help everyone have a safe Halloween.
“As we approach cooler weather and the accompanied increased risk of disease spread, these numbers are a reminder of the importance of remaining focused on bringing the vaccine to unvaccinated individuals, especially those with risk factors associated with social and economic inequities that increase their risk of severe illness,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The end of the pandemic is directly related to our collective behavior. For the protection of everyone, we encourage all eligible residents to get vaccinated; as the vaccines offer powerful protection against the most severe outcomes of COVID-19 infection.”
Public Health identified 1,471,645 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,320 deaths. Cases across the Southland: Los Angeles County shows 1,394,126 cases, Long Beach with 64,217 cases and Pasadena with 13,302 cases.
As of October 4, the California Department of Public Health reported 629 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) statewide. MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems. MIS-C can require hospitalization and be life threatening.
According to race and ethnicity, COVID-19 statistics show: American Indian/Alaska Native with 2,360; Asian with 66,500; Black with 66,776; Hispanic/Latino with 720,066; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander with 5,127; White with 170,715; those of other race and ethnicity with 117,949 and 244,633 under investigation.
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
