County Announces 18 New COVID-19 Deaths

The LA County Department of Public Health confirmed 18 new deaths and 484 new cases of the Coronavirus.

To date, the county has identified 31,677 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 1,530 deaths.

“Each day, we report these numbers knowing that there are people who are grieving their loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19.  To all of you, we are so deeply sorry for your loss,” said County Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “As we begin our recovery journey, we are grateful for all you have done to get us to this point. More than ever, we all need to continue to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, and to, most importantly, save lives.”

The new numbers come at the close of the first weekend after county officials opened some low-risk businesses.

Public Health issued a five-stage roadmap to recovery that describes a phased approach to slowly relaxing select directives of the Safer at Home Order and a reopening process for certain business sectors.  Currently, LA County is in phase two which allows florists and some retailers to offer curbside pickup only. Car dealership showrooms can reopen with appropriate physical distancing and infection control measures. Trails and golf courses can also open, but pro shops remain closed to public entry and may be open for curbside pickup only. Everyone must continue to adhere to physical distancing measures and use cloth face coverings. Later in the coming week, additional restrictions may be lifted to include other retailers, manufacturers, and recreational facilities.

The next three stages of the roadmap to recovery include the potential opening in phases to include higher-risk institutions and businesses such as movie theaters, schools, colleges and universities, followed later by conventions and spectator events, and finally to normal operations for all sectors. Each sector will have reopening protocols that must be adhered to. Until the final stage five is reached, Health officer orders and directives will continue to ensure the slow of spread of COVID-19 to prevent an overwhelming surge of COVID-19 cases at healthcare facilities. People who have underlying health conditions will still be at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the County’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to know to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms.