New Coronavirus Cases Reported in Pasadena Decline From Last Week’s Record Levels

Authorities on Monday reported 107 new COVID-19 infections and one new death in Pasadena.

While Monday’s tally of new cases was higher than the prior three days, the city’s average daily infections over the prior week continued a steady downward trend, reaching 118 after peaking at 198 on Jan. 10, according to city records.

All told, Pasadena has documented 9,339 cases of the virus and 192 deaths.

No details regarding the most recent fatality were available.

Huntington Hospital reported treating 198 COVID-19 patients on Monday, with 46 of them, or 23%, being treated in intensive care units.

Los Angeles County health officials reported 9,927 new COVID-19 infections and 88 additional deaths but noted that the numbers reflected a lag in reporting over the holiday weekend.

The county has seen a total of 1,024,190 infections and 13,936 deaths, according to an L.A. County Department of Public Health statement.

Officials reported 7,328 patients hospitalized with the virus county-wide, with 23% of them being treated in ICUs.

L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said now is not the time to become complacent, especially with evidence of a new, more contagious version of the virus in the region.

“As we honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, we are reminded that, together, we can make change for the better,” Ferrer said. “We are closer and closer to ending this pandemic, and collective action is what makes the difference in how many more people die.”

“It will take a few more months before there is enough vaccine supply available and enough people vaccinated to provide us with the level of protection needed to end the pandemic,” said Ferrer.

“Given the emergence of variants that may be more easily transmissible, now would be the time to figure out how you should modify your current activities to reduce exposure to others since many people who are out and about are infected with COVID-19,” she said.

On Saturday, health officials reported that the county had exceeded 1 million total COVID-19 infections. Additionally, county officials reported that a case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7. Varian first detected in the UK had been found in L.A. County.

The mutated strain is believed to be more contagious than the original, but no more potent in its effects.

At the state level, the California Department of Public Health reported 30,699 new infections and 201 deaths on Monday, raising the statewide totals to 2,973,174 cases of the virus and 33,593 fatalities.

The average positivity rate over the prior week was recorded at 10.6%, while the 14-day average had dipped to 12.2%, according to the CDPH.

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