County Reports 423 Cases of COVID-19

Los Angeles County’s coronavirus numbers continue to fall, with officials reporting 423 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 additional fatalities on Sunday.

The number of county residents hospitalized with the virus continued to decline, dropping from 792 Saturday to 750, with the number of those patients in intensive care declining from 216 to 191, according to state figures. 

Sunday’s numbers brought the county’s totals to 1,214,178 cases and 22,797 deaths since the pandemic began. The lower number of deaths reported Sunday may reflect reporting delays over the weekend, according to health officials.

On Saturday, when 521 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said more than 70% of those cases were from people under the age of 50, while 93% of Saturday’s 56 reported deaths were over the age of 50.

“Many younger people are out socializing with non-household members, raising concerns that asymptomatic young people are unknowingly helping to spread the virus to more vulnerable people,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “Though we are making good progress in our vaccination efforts, we are entering a potentially perilous time if people let their guard down. It is important that we remain disciplined in our adherence to the use of face masks, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and delaying any non-essential travel. This is particularly important with the recent movement of the county to the red tier and as restrictions get lifted.”