COVID-19 Continues Spread Among Unvaccinated in Pasadena, Southland

Public health officials renewed their plea for county residents to get vaccinated Wednesday as transmission of the virus continues trending upward in the region.

Nine new infections were reported in Pasadena, raising the pandemic total to 11,397, according to city data. The death toll stood at 350.

An average of 7.1 new cases were detected each day over the prior week.

Officials at Huntington Hospital also documented an increase in COVID-19 patients to eight, with four of them being treated in intensive care units. As of last week, The hospital was treating five patients, in all, with one in an ICU.

Authorities at the county level reported 515 new infections and eight deaths on Wednesday, raising the county-wide pandemic totals to 1,253,536 infections and 24,514 fatalities.

County hospitals were treating 275 COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday, with 27% of them being housed in ICUs, according to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health statement.

To stem the spread of the virus, L.A. County Director of Public Health urged those who have yet to be immunized to do so.

“We must continue to work together to improve vaccine confidence and acceptance so that vaccination rates increase, and we reach a level of community immunity that protects everyone,” she said.

“As COVID-19 transmission has increased over the past couple of weeks, it is very important we continue to work together to protect each other and make sure that individuals with questions about the vaccine, have access to information about the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness from people they trust,” Ferrer said.

The California Department of Public Health reported 1,332 infections and 21 deaths across the state on Wednesday.

In total, state officials had tabulated 3,721,006 total cases of the virus and 63,529 deaths.

The statewide average positivity rate over the prior week was recorded at 1.9%, according to CDPH data.

As of Wednesday, L.A. County represented 34% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 39% of the state’s associated deaths.