Huntington Hospital ICUs Cleared of COVID-19 Patients

After months of seeing a steady flow of COVID-19 patients through its intensive care units, Huntington Hospital’s ICUs contained zero coronavirus patients on Friday.

Fourteen patients were being treated for the virus at the hospital, but none required the extra level of care provided in ICUs, according to hospital data.

At the height of the pandemic in December and January, the hospital saw more than 200 total patients, with dozens being cared for in intensive care units.

Over the prior week, Huntington Hospital reported admitting an average of 3.6 COVID-19 patients each day.

Meanwhile, city officials reported seven new infections and zero new deaths in Pasadena, marking the 9th straight day without a reported fatality.

The local totals stood at 11,151cases of the virus and 335 deaths, according to city records.

Average daily infections over the prior week were listed at 4.3.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials reported 692 new COVID-19 infections and 74 deaths on Friday, raising the county’s totals to 1,220,849 infections and 23,235 fatalities.

Officials added that 634 patients were hospitalized throughout the county, with 26% of them in ICUs.

As the region approached “orange” tier restrictions under state reopening guidelines on Monday, L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said now is not the time to ease off on precautions.

“Our numbers have improved dramatically, but we cannot let up. While we are making good progress with vaccination efforts, we have about a dozen more weeks before we can expect to reach 80% vaccine coverage for people 16 and older,” she said.

“Please remain vigilant in taking the necessary safety measures to prevent spread and get vaccinated when it is your turn,” according to Ferrer. “Continue to avoid large gatherings, wear your mask when you’re in public and around others, and continue washing your hands. Following these safety measures is the only way we can avoid taking a step back on our recovery journey.”

At the state level, public health officials announced 2,414 new infections and 179 fatalities Friday, which brought the statewide totals to 3,573,074 documented cases of COVID-19 and 58,269 deaths.

The state’s average positivity rate over the prior week inched downward to 1.8%, according to California Department of Public Health data.

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