L.A. County Surpasses 20,000 COVID-19 Deaths

More than 20,000 people in Los Angeles County have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials announced Tuesday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 157 additional fatalities, bringing the countywide total to 20,057.

Officials also announced 2,091 new infections throughout the county, bringing the overall tally to 1,183,378 known cases of the virus.

L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer once again offered condolences to those mourning the loss of loved ones to the pandemic.

“As we mark this heartbreaking day and note with sadness the loss of over 20,000 County residents, we mourn with all of you who have lost someone you love to COVID-19,” Ferrer said. “We are deeply sorry for your loss, and wish you healing and peace.”

In Pasadena, public health officials added two more deaths to the city’s list of fatalities on Tuesday, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said. One involved a resident of a long-term care facility, while the other involved a person living in the general community.

Twenty-two new infections brought the city’s total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 10,805. The city’s pandemic death toll stood at 309.

A shipment of vaccinations that had been expected to arrive in Pasadena last week, but was delayed due to severe storms across the country, was received on Tuesday, according to Derderian.

Huntington Hospital officials reported treating 54 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, with 12 of them being cared for in the intensive care unit.

At the county-level, officials reported 2,146 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout the county on Tuesday, with 31% of them being treated in ICUs.

L.A. County remained in the state’s most restrictive tier under the “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” with a test positivity rate of 12.3 new cases per 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of 5.1%, officials said.

“In order to move into the red tier and have additional opportunities for re-openings, L.A. County’s daily case rate must be at or below 7 new cases per 100,00 people and the county’s test positivity rate must be at or below 8%,” the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a written statement.

Ferrer urged the public to continue following social distancing protocols, especially when returning to workplace or school settings.

“As more and more of our county residents return to businesses and school, it’s important to remember that the actions we all take today will affect the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths several weeks from now. As we continue to bear witness to the devastating loss of life from COVID-19, we ask that everyone continue to use the tools we know work to slow the spread of the virus: wear a mask and keep 6 feet of distance anytime you are around others not in your household,” Ferrer said.

“This virus is still easily transmitted among people in contact with each other and we must do all we can to continue the momentum of the decreases we are seeing [in] cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” she said.

State public health officials announced 3,447 new COVID-19 infections and 225 additional fatalities on Tuesday, raising the statewide totals to 3,450,058 known cases of the virus and 49,563 deaths.

The state’s average positivity rate over the prior week was recorded at 3.3%, according to the California Department of Public Health.

As of Tuesday, L.A. County represented 34% of California’s total COVID-19 infections and 40% of the state’s deaths.