Los Angeles County public health officials reported 5,925 new cases of the coronavirus and 124 related deaths on Sunday, a further sign that the outbreak may be leveling off, but that comes at a time when the state has begun to relax restrictions on the spread of the virus. virus.
The number of cases is usually lower on weekends because not all labs report results. Still, the data bolsters evidence that the region is emerging from a vicious wave that began in late October that nearly overwhelmed area hospitals.
Hospital admissions have also continued to decline from the peak earlier this month. There were 5,398 COVID-19 patients in LA County hospitals as of Saturday, a decrease of about 26% from two weeks before, when there were 7,322 patients.
“While some restrictions have just been lifted in our county, we are still at a very dangerous time in terms of cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” Barbara Ferrer, the county director for public health, said in a statement. “We all want our companies that are currently operating to remain open and reopen more and more securely in the future. Our case rates must continue to decline. “
The clear signs of progress came when the state took steps to reopen some businesses that had been shut down by the pandemic.
On Monday, California officials lifted regional statewide house arrest for coronavirus, returning counties to the color-coded tier system that assigns local risk levels based on case numbers and percentages of positive test results for coronavirus infections.
Most areas, including Southern California, are still classified under the purple “widespread” risk level, which allows hairdressing salons to provide limited in-house services but restricts many other non-essential in-house business activities. As part of the shift, restaurants were also allowed to reopen for outdoor dining.
But Ferrer urged people to keep wearing masks, keep social distance, and avoid congregating with people outside their households.
“Just because some sectors have reopened, this does not mean that the risk of community transmission has disappeared; that’s not the case, and each of us has to make very careful choices about what we do and how we do it, ”she said.
The new figures bring the county’s total to 1,116,892 cases of the virus and 16,770 people have died, according to The Times tracker.
Ferrer also warned that health officials had confirmed a second case in Los Angeles County of the British coronavirus variant, which is spreading more easily. New research reinforces the statement that the COVID-19 vaccines administered in the United States and elsewhere should protect against the new variant.
Still, Ferrer urged the public to remain vigilant in the fight against the spread of the virus as the race to vaccinate the population continues. Those currently eligible for the vaccine include primary health care workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and county residents aged 65 and older.
“This virus is strong, and we are now concerned about variants and what they will mean in our region,” she said. The presence of the UK variant in Los Angeles County “means that virus transmission can occur more easily, and that residents and businesses must be more diligent in implementing and following all personal protection and security measures.”
Orange County reported 1,355 new cases of the virus and 44 deaths on Saturday, as hospital admissions also continued to drop to 1,412 patients, down about 28% from two weeks earlier.