City Reports 147 New COVID-19 Cases on Sunday

Pasadena health officials reported 147 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and two additional fatalities.

The numbers increase the city’s total cases to 8,397, and 175 fatalities. 

As of Sunday, Huntington Hospital reported 196 patients battling the virus, including 36 patients in the hospital’s intensive care unit. 

Hospital officials are expected to provide an update to the Pasadena City Council on Monday. 

Nearly five million people have been tested for COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began, with 17% testing positive, the city Health Department said.

The Southern California Region continues to have 0% ICU availability

The county’s 70 “911-receiving” hospitals with emergency rooms have a total licensed capacity of about 2,500 ICU beds. Last week, the county averaged 31 available adult ICU beds on a daily basis, with 78% of all ICU patients in the county being treated for COVID-19.

County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said last week that the numbers of new daily hospital admissions had begun to level off — but still at a high level, and patient discharges have not kept pace, leading to the growing hospital population.

But she and other health officials warned that the admissions are anticipated to surge upward again as a result of the winter holidays. 

L.A. County’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Paul Simon said the county is only now beginning to see the rise in case numbers from the Christmas holiday.

“This is a clear reflection of what was happening two to four weeks ago over the holiday time, (when people were) traveling, mixing,” Simon said.

“Where people are sharing air … the virus will spread. We do anticipate given the high number of cases … we’re going to see high levels of hospitalizations and sadly deaths over at least the next two to four weeks,” he said.

“We are hoping, urging the public to adhere more strictly to our control measures and hoping now that we’re beyond the holiday time to see a decline in cases, but we’ll be watching very closely.”