Possible Milestone as Pasadena Goes 2 Days Without a Single New Cases of Coronavirus; 1 New COVID-19 Death Reported

Pasadena officials reported one new COVID-19 death on Monday, which was also the second consecutive day with no new reported infections, officials said.

The recent death was that of a man in his 40s, said city spokesperson Lisa Derderian. Several of his family members also tested positive for COVID-19.

In all, the city has recorded 2,476 cases of novel coronavirus and 121 deaths.

Public health officials in Pasadena were still working to figure out what might explain the recent low statistics.

“There are several factors that may account for the decreases in cases, but at this time we cannot be certain which is the most predictive,” Derderian said.

Factors under consideration included delays in testing and test results due to the Labor Day holiday weekend and the fact that the virus is increasingly spreading among younger, healthier populations, “who have milder illness,” and “ they may be less likely to get tested,” she said.

“We cannot rule out the fact that many families have been displaced or adjusted their schedules because of the fires and poor air quality, which would also result in a decrease in reported cases,” according to Derderian “While reported cases decrease, we still are reporting deaths among family members and encourage people to still be cautious.”

Huntington Hospital reported treating 25 COVID-19 patients on Monday, with nine tests pending.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 24 COVID-19 deaths and 733 new cases on Monday.

“To date, Public Health has identified 254,656 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,231 deaths,” the agency reported in a written statement.

Officials said 775 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the county on Monday, with 35 percent of them being treated in intensive care units.

“Throughout this pandemic, thousands of people have had long hospital stays and many more have become sick and may still be feeling the effects of their sickness weeks or even months later,” the county statement said.

L.A. County’s overall positivity rate remained at 10 percent, with more than 2.4 million tests administered.

“Tens of thousands of people are facing a future without someone they love because that person has passed away from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to all of you who are grieving, and again we are so sorry for your loss,” L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said.

“Slowing the spread of the virus has required us to work together in ways that we really haven’t needed to do before — from our government agencies to our community organizations and institutions, from our businesses to each and every resident in our community — so many have taken and continue to take actions to protect themselves and to protect other people,” she said.

“This pandemic is frustrating and heartbreaking — and not the least of it is that we desperately want to go back to living our lives the way they were before,” said Ferrer. “Unfortunately, as we have already experienced, doing so creates illness and devastation for many, including people who are very vulnerable. For this reason, I am extraordinarily grateful to everyone that is doing what is right during a pandemic and being part of the solution to drive down transmission so that we can get children back to schools and people back to work.”

At the state level, California Department of Public Health officials announced 2,885 new infections and new fatalities, bringing the state’s totals to 757,778 COVID-19 cases and 14,385 deaths.

State health officials said California’s average positivity rate over the past seven days had fallen to 3.5 percent, and the 14-day average was 3.7 percent.

As of Monday, Los Angeles County accounted for 34 percent of California’s COVID-19 cases and 43 percent of the state’s fatalities.