Coronavirus Cases Increasing in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Health officials are once again urging the public to take common-sense precautions to avoid becoming ill with COVID-19 as they report rising numbers of cases in Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has seen consistent increases of reported COVID-19 cases since mid-May, officials said Thursday.

"As families return from summer travel and children in LA County prepare to go back to school in the coming weeks, protection from COVID-19 infection remains important, especially for those at high risk for severe illness," the department said.

In the past four weeks, reported COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, virus concentrations in wastewater, and the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests have doubled.

This week, the department reported 452 average daily COVID-19 cases, an increase from the 229 cases reported four weeks ago. Officials say reported cases are an undercount, due to the large number of at-home COVID test results that are not reported to officials.

Wastewater concentrations of SARS CoV-2, the virus that results in a COVID-19 infection, were at 44% of the 2023-2024 winter peak, double the 17% reported the first week of July, indicating increasing transmission in LA County.

Wastewater concentrations may provide more complete information about COVID-19 transmission levels than reported cases alone.

The health department is reporting an average of 81.6 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per day, a two-fold increase from 41.4 four weeks ago. The 7-day average number of daily COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County is 389, and 10% of hospitalized COVID patients this past week were in intensive care units.

Deaths from COVID-19 remain relatively stable. The department reported 1.9 daily average COVID-19 deaths this week, compared to 0.9 in early July. Changes in the death metric may be seen later than other metrics due to both the time needed to receive death certificates and the natural progression of the disease.

For information about where to get vaccinated against COVID-19, residents can visit ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines.

Health officials said free or low-cost therapeutics that can prevent serious illness from COVID-19 remain available in LA County. To learn more about medicines to treat COVID-19, visit ph.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/medication/.

Officials said residents should continue taking common-sense precautions to avoid transmitting or becoming ill with COVID-19. This includes washing their hands often or using hand sanitizer, especially before eating, after sneezing or coughing, or when in public places, and considering mask use when in crowded indoor spaces.

Residents should stay home if they have any symptoms of illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, and consider informing friends and family of their illness so they know to be cautious about gathering if they show signs of infection.