Single COVID-19 Case Reported in Pasadena Thursday

Health officials reported a single COVID-19 infection detected in Pasadena on Thursday as the city, county and state all prepare for the lifting of pandemic restrictions next week.

No new deaths have been documented in a week, and the two most recent deaths reported on June 3 involved people who had died months earlier, but only recently been confirmed as COVID-19 fatalities.

The city’s pandemic totals stood at 11.304 confirmed cases of the virus and 349 deaths, according to Pasadena Public Health Department data.

An average of 1.1 new cases were detected each day over the prior week, records show.

Pasadena Public Health Department and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials announced Wednesday that they would realign their masking policies to coincide with those of the state as of June 15.

Masks won’t be required for fully vaccinated people, with exceptions including riders on public transit; in K-12 schools’ in healthcare settings; in detention and correctional facilities; and in homeless and emergency shelters, authorities said.

Where masks will still be required, Pasadena Public Health Director Dr. Ying-Ying Goh urged the public to comply.

“COVID-19 continues to easily spread among those who are unvaccinated,” Goh said. “As we prepare for the State’s full reopening on June 15 and the retiring of most distancing and capacity restrictions, we urge everyone to get vaccinated.

“We have three very safe and effective vaccines, which are our most powerful tools to protect our community,” Goh added. “The continued public health safety measure of appropriate masking is critically important to protect those who are unvaccinated and not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.”

While masks will no longer be required in many places, Huntington Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Kimberly Shriner urged the public to remain considerate of others who choose to continue wearing masks.

“We are very fortunate to have successful vaccines that have helped decrease the spread of the virus, and that so many people in Pasadena and Los Angeles have accepted the vaccine so far. Also, people have been impacted by COVID-19 in many different ways. With this in mind, when you are in a public space where masks are not required, like the grocery store or a restaurant, we should respect those around us who are more comfortable continuing to wear a mask, just as much as we respect those who choose not to wear a mask,” Shriner said.

“Moving forward, mask use should be considered a positive infection prevention measure, not only from COVID-19, but throughout flu and cold season,” according to Shriner. “It’s a valuable tool, especially combined with hand hygiene, to help protect us from all viruses.”

Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer reported another seven COVID-19 deaths in the county on Thursday, lifting the overall death toll to 24,414, City News Service reported.

Another 220 cases were also announced, raising the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 1,245,771.

State figures indicated there were 240 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the county as of Thursday, down from 244 on Wednesday, with 45 people in intensive care, the same as the previous day, according to CNS.

The California Department of Public Health announced 856 new infections and 39 fatalities on Thursday, bringing the overall tallies to 3,693,362 COVID-19 cases and 62,538 deaths.

The state’s average positivity rate over the prior week inched up by a tenth of a percent to 0.8%, according to CDPH data.

As of Thursday, L.A. County accounted for 34% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 39% of the state’s fatalities.