Wednesday, April 1. L.A. Officials stress the importance in participating in the United States Census in wake of the Coronavirus. Due to the lack of participation in 2010, L.A. is feeling the effects ten years later, as we look at medical funding to be extremely viable in times of crisis. The Department of Public health announced the recent data on the Corona Virus pandemic in Los Angeles. The L.A. Public Health Services disclosed the occupancy of the public and private medical centers across the L.A. region.
Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health shared the latest updates on the COVID-19 Virus. As of Tuesday, March 31. Over 21,000 people have been tested for COVID-19, 12-13% were positive for the virus. Ferrer shared on Wednesday, April 1. that there were 11 additional deaths, 9 of these individuals were between the ages of 65 and over, with 7 people having underlining health conditions. This brings the total COVID-19 related deaths in the L.A. County to 65. Barbara disclosed as of April 1. There are 513 new COVID-19 reports, in summary there is a total amount of 3,518 cases in the Los Angeles region.
Over the last 48 hours, there has been 1,000 reports. These numbers are reflective of 133 in Long Beach and 33 reports coming from Pasadena. Of these new cases, 5 individuals who have tested positive are unsheltered. Approximately 21% of those infected with COVID-19 are hospitalized at some point. Data is reflecting 1.8% of carriers of the Corona Virus have died, which is higher than the general mortality rate for influenza related deaths in the United States.
The department of health services shared the plans and availability of medical beds during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Across L.A. county, there are approximately 1,438 open medical beds, including 242 ICU beds that are vacant to serve patients. The public health services foresee a spike for the need of medical beds in the near future. They have teams working in collaboration with the state and a variety of educational institutions; to formulate an approximate forecast of the incline of the Corona Virus, within L.A. County. Christina Ghaly, Director of Public Health Services admittedly stated, “The lack of a quick turnaround time on testing, complicates the ability to provide precise direction about how many beds, ventilators, and how many ICU beds would be needed at this point.” Public and private sectors are receiving medical supplies daily from the national and federal stockpiles.
The U.S. Census only takes ten minutes of your time, it can lead to ten years of resources in the community. The funding we receive supports medical services, childcare centers, parks, head-start programs, and affordable housing. During this time of crisis, it is crucial to get an accurate count in order to get the proper federal support that the L.A. County needs. The information is confidential and will be used privately by the government for statistics. The cities’ infrastructure is very dependent on the numbers calculated by the census. School lunches, highway plans, and first responder occupations rely heavily on the results from the L.A. Census count. You can participate online at: 2020census.gov
