Pasadena Sees More Than 100 New COVID-19 Cases for 6th Straight Day

Health officials in Pasadena reported 109 new COVID-19 infections in the city, marking six days in a row that more than 100 new infections were detected.

The city exceeded 100 daily cases for the first time during the pandemic on Dec. 5.

With no new fatalities reported, the city’s total infections had reached 5,728, while the local death toll stood at 145.

Average daily detected infections over the prior week had set a new record at 129.4, according to city data.

City spokeswoman Lisa Derderian urged residents not to fall into a “false sense of security” and discard social distancing protocols after receiving a negative COVID-19 test result.

“Don’t let a negative COVID-19 test be a pass to go outside the household you live with, because a negative one day can change into a positive within hours,” she said. “[During] very challenging times, we need to think about the consequences of every decision.”

Huntington Hospital reported treating 153 COVID-19 patients on Monday, with 30 of them being treated in intensive care units.

The hospital’s average daily COVID-19 hospitalizations over the prior week reached a new all-time high of 24.1.

The state-calculated ICU availability rate for the 11-county Southern California Region encompassing Los Angeles County remained at 0 percent, where it’s been since Thursday, according to state data.

County health officials reported 11,271new COVID-19 infections and 56 additional deaths on Monday, raising the overall tallies to 634,849 cases of the virus and 8,931 fatalities.

“Since November 9, average daily deaths have increased from 12 average deaths per day to 84 average deaths per day last week,” the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a written statement. “For the past three weeks, the County has nearly tripled the daily average number of cases; from 4,000 new cases a day to over 14,000 new cases a day.”

Hospitals throughout the county again saw a record number of COVID-19 cases at 5,709, with 21 percent of them being treated in ICUs, county officials said.

County health officials warned that if the public does not alter normal Christmas activities, Southern California could be facing a “surge on top of a surge,” the county statement said.

“Hospitals are already over capacity and the high-quality medical care we are accustomed to in L.A. County is beginning to be compromised as our frontline healthcare workers are beyond stretched to the limit.”

“The only path forward right now that has a chance at stopping the surge is to stay home as much as possible and to enjoy the holidays with just our immediate household,” L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said. “This means no extended in-person family gatherings. The risks of doing so are just too dangerous.”

“Another spike in cases from the winter holidays will be disastrous for our hospital system and, ultimately, will mean many more people simply won’t be with us in 2021,” she said. “While we are so encouraged that vaccines have arrived and our frontline healthcare workers are beginning to receive vaccinations, it will take many months to immunize the entire population of L.A. County. Your actions this week and beyond will determine whether we get through the next two months without continuing to experience horrifying increases in hospitalizations and deaths.”

The California Department of Public Health reported 37,892 COVID-19 cases and 83 deaths on Monday, bringing the state’s totals to 1,892,348 infections and 22,676 fatalities.

The average statewide positivity rate over the prior week had reached 13.3 percent, and the 14-day average was recorded at 12 percent, according to a CDPH statement.

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

See also:

Influx of COVID-19 Patients Taxing Huntington Hospital Staffing and Resources