Local Health Officials Fear Super Bowl Surge as 5 More Pasadenans Die from COVID-19 on Thursday

Health officials in Pasadena reported five additional COVID-19 deaths on Thursday as new infections in the city continued declining significantly.

All five of the latest victims were residents of long-term care facilities, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.

Officials documented 36 new infections, marking the lowest number of new daily cases seen in the city in more than two months.

A total of 10,376 cases of the virus and 269 fatalities had been recorded in Pasadena.

Huntington Hospital reported treating 137 COVID-19 patients on Thursday, with 20 of them being treated in intensive care units.

Average daily COVID-19 admissions have dropped steadily in recent weeks to 15.8, according to hospital data.

City officials reported 19,861 Pasadenans had received their first vaccine dose, while another 3,457 had already received both doses. The city remained in Phase 1b of Tier 1 under the state’s vaccination distribution framework.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials urged sports fans to stay away from gatherings, whether in the home or elsewhere, with anyone living outside of their households as 5,028 new infections and 239 deaths were reported.

Thursday’s figures raised the county-wide totals to 1,134,338 cases of COVID-19 and 17,539 deaths.

Just under 5,000 people were hospitalized with the virus, with 27% of them being cared for in ICUs, according to a statement issued by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

Reflecting on the recent increases in COVID-19 deaths, L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer urged people to do their part to avoid further infections and fatalities.

“The number of people passing away daily is devastating beyond words,” she said. “COVID-19 transmission can just as easily occur at house parties, as at businesses not following the straight-forward safety measures. Do not attend or host a Super Bowl party this weekend.”

“Restaurant, winery and brewery establishments must do their part, as required, keeping TVs off and following the requirements in the L.A. County Health Officer Order,” Ferrer added. “We all must work together to defend against another surge.”

A similar order also bars restaurants from displaying TV in outdoor seating areas.

State public health officials announced 13,176 new infections and 655 additional fatalities on Thursday, raising California’s overall totals to 3,294,447 documented cases of COVID-19 and 42,466 deaths.

The statewide average positivity rate over the prior week declined to 6.1%, and the 14-day average had fallen to 6.9%, according to California Department of Public Health Data.

As of Thursday, L.A. County represented 34% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 41% of the state’s fatalities.