Pasadena Public Health Department Reports First COVID-19 Death in 98 Days

The Pasadena Public Health Department on Monday reported the first COVID-19 death of a Pasadena resident since April 1, 2021.

An unvaccinated Pasadena male over the age of 65 died of COVID-19 on Thursday, July 8.  This individual had multiple underlying health conditions, and investigations show unvaccinated household members were the likely source of exposure, the department said.

In a statement, city officials said the man’s death comes at a time when “we are seeing increasing COVID-19 cases in Pasadena, especially among unvaccinated individuals. Pasadenans have made tremendous progress in protecting ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. There are still many people in our community, and in the whole of Los Angeles County, that are unvaccinated, including approximately 18,000 children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the US are extremely safe and effective.”

“We express our condolences to anyone who has lost a loved one during this pandemic,” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Director and Health Officer of the Pasadena Public Health Department. “The recent increase in cases and predominance of the significantly more infectious Delta variant are further reasons for everyone who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

The department reported 14 new infections on Monday, as well as nine on Sunday and nine on Saturday.

Since the start of the pandemic, Pasadena has seen 11,467 total infections and 351 deaths, records show.

The average number of infections detected over the prior week rose to 10.3.

Vaccination is the best protection against this disease, officials said. All vaccines are proven to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization or death from COVID-19, and people who are fully vaccinated are also much less likely to be contagious or transmit the virus to someone else.

“The longer you wait to get vaccinated, the greater the risk of contracting COVID-19, and infecting a friend, loved one, or coworker. Anyone not fully vaccinated should take all precautions – wear a mask in indoor public settings, move social activities outdoors as much as possible and limit to others who are fully vaccinated, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently when outside your home,” the statement said.

COVID-19 vaccines are available through the Pasadena Public Health Department at no cost to people age 12 years and over. For more information and to register for an appointment, visit MyTurn.ca.gov.