Los Angeles public health officials advise that all essential workers across the country should wear masks in their own homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within the household, as hospitalizations and deaths continue at an alarming rate.
Officials are calling it the “worst disaster” in the province in decades.
“Right now, because there is so much distribution, we recommend that people wear their face cover while they are in the house. It will add an extra layer of protection as we get through this wave,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at a press conference on Monday.
“We highly recommend covering your face if you are an employee who leaves every day or are in fact someone who needs to run the essential errands in your family,” Ferrer added.
Peak in cases: Los Angeles reported 12,617 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections in the county to 932,697. A further 137 deaths were reported, bringing the total fatalities to 12,387.
Deaths increase by 1,000%: According to the latest health data, the county has reported more than 1,500 Covid-related deaths in the past seven days. Since the rise began in November, LA County has seen the death toll increase by more than 1000%.
Hospital resources tense: Nearly 8,000 people are currently hospitalized as officials continue to solve infrastructure problems such as low oxygen supply, limited human resources and scarce bed availability. There are 650 hospital beds and 46 IC beds available across the province as of Monday afternoon, officials said.
Ten people test positive every minute: Ferrer said an average of 10 people in LA County test positive for Covid-19 every minute. “The damaging effects of this wave on our families and our local hospitals are the worst disaster our country has seen in decades,” she said.
Vaccines: Despite the tragic loss of life, vaccines are making their way throughout the community, Ferrer said. Los Angeles hospitals have received 220,000 vaccine doses and approximately 160,000 primary care health workers have been vaccinated. Hospitals began giving their eligible staff a second dose last week, and more than 22,000 health workers are now fully vaccinated.
Vaccination sites: There are more than 75 vaccination sites in Los Angeles that have been established to facilitate the vaccine for individuals within the state’s current Phase 1A tier, where mostly non-hospital workers and unskilled nurses are immunized. About 20 vaccination sites are currently open to primary care health professionals and at least five more are expected to open in the near future.