2 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Pasadena on Thursday

The spread of COVID-19 remained low in Pasadena Thursday, with two new infections and no new fatalities reported by public health officials.

The new cases raised the city’s pandemic total to 11,222, while the number of deaths remained at 344 since Tuesday, when three additional fatalities were added to local records.

Over the prior week, an average of 2.6 new infections were detected daily, according to Pasadena Public Health Department data.

Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer noted that the county is on pace to move into the yellow tier of the state Blueprint for a Safer Economy next week. If the county still meets the criteria when new state figures are released next Tuesday, a revised health officer order loosening capacity restrictions on businesses will be issued Wednesday, and take effect on Thursday.

Moving to the yellow tier — which is the least-restrictive in the blueprint — would mean a larger allowable capacity at most businesses, gatherings and events, both indoors and outdoors. Fitness centers, cardrooms, wineries and breweries, for instance, would be permitted to increase indoor capacity to 50%, up from the current 25%; bars would be able to open indoors at 25%; outdoor venues such as Dodger Stadium could increase capacity to 67%, up from the current 33%; and amusement parks could allow 35%, up from 25%.

The county is revising its health order this week to incorporate changes in mask-wearing guidelines recommended this week for fully vaccinated people by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The revisions also state that surveillance COVID testing is no longer recommended for fully vaccinated people, unless they work at skilled nursing facilities or other high-risk settings, are traveling internationally or are required by a particular business or facility.

Ferrer said the county will also be reviewing changes issued by the state allowing water parks to reopen.

The county reported another 42 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, raising the cumulative total since the pandemic began to 23,872.

Another 416 cases were confirmed by the county, lifting the overall number from throughout the pandemic to 1,232,751.

According to state figures, there were 420 people hospitalized in the county as of Thursday, up from 410 on Wednesday, with 98 people in intensive care, down from 105 on Wednesday.

Tha California Department of Public Health reported 1,457 new infections and 89 deaths, raising the statewide totals to 3,636,235 documented cases of COVID-19 and 60,362 fatalities.

The state’s average positivity rate over the prior week held stable at 1.3%, according to CDPH data.

As of Thursday, L.A. County accounted for 34% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 40% of the state’s fatalities.