Public Health Officials Urge L.A. County Residents to Avoid Election-Related Gatherings Amid Increase in COVID-19 Spread

COVID-19 infections continued inching upward Tuesday in Pasadena and throughout Los Angeles County,  prompting public health officials to warn residents not to gather with others to view election results in order to prevent the virus from accelerating further.

Twelve new infections were documented in Pasadena, raising the city’s total to 2,858, according to city data.

The median age of those infected had declined to 43, city spokesperson Lisa Derdeiran

No fatalities have been reported in Pasadena since Oct. 8, with the death toll standing at 129.

Huntington Hospital reported treating 23 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday.

At the county level, the L.A. County Department of Public Health reported 1,224 new cases of novel coronavirus and 23 additional deaths

“There is a high level of risk associated with gatherings of any kind, especially when people are not keeping physical distance of at least six feet and wearing face coverings. This includes in-person election viewing and dinner parties, as these types of gatherings can easily spread COVID-19. If you plan to watch election results, it is safest to do so at home with other people from your household or participate virtually with friends,” the agency said in a written statement.

“People have passed the virus to others, even before they knew they had it,” the statement added. “Face coverings are strongly encouraged in indoor and outdoor settings where people might raise their voices, such as shouting, chanting, or singing; this is because when someone raises their voice, their respiratory droplets spread farther.”

L.A. County has recorded a total of  311,745 infections and 7,097 fatalities, health officials said.

Just under 800 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County on Tuesday, with 28 percent of them being treated in intensive care units, officials said.

L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer reminded the public that the future course of the virus depends on their behavior.

“We don’t have to endure the worst scenarios that this pandemic can create if everyone and every business takes responsibility to stop COVID-19 from spreading. When safety directives are not followed, we see cases, hospitalizations, and deaths increase. When everyone distances, wears face coverings and follows public health guidance, we see cases, hospitalizations, and deaths decrease,” she said.

“There are many businesses and schools that have not yet reopened because COVID-19 is spreading at concerning levels. When we ask everyone to follow safety measures that slow the spread of the virus, it is to save lives and so that we can get to a place where we can reopen more of our county,” Ferrer said.

California public health officials reported 4,044 new COVID-19 infections and 14 additional deaths, raising the total number of cases documented statewide to 934,672 and the number of deaths to 17,686.

The average positivity rate for the prior week was 3.2 percent, which matched the 14-day average, according to a California Department of Public Health statement.

As of Tuesday, L.A. County accounted for 33 percent of California’s total infections and 40 percent of the state’s fatalities.