Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday recorded 546 new cases of the coronavirus and ten related deaths amid signs that viral transmission continues to decline.
Both figures are an understatement because there are delays over weekends over the weekend, officials said. Yet they welcome the encouraging trend of declining cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
There were 470 COVID-19 patients in LA hospitals as of Saturday, a drop of nearly 28% from two weeks earlier, when there were 647, officials said.
Overall, there were 1,799 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease of approximately 22% from two weeks prior.
California also observed a dramatic slowdown in the average number of deaths reported daily. Over the past few days, California has reported an average of 105 to 120 COVID-19 deaths per day – the lowest number reported since the fall and winter waves. Last January, California recorded at its worst an average of 562 deaths per day over a seven-day period.
On Saturday, the state reached the latest milestone when the COVID-19 death toll exceeded 60,000, according to a Times version of the deaths reported by the country.
The death toll represents about 10.7% of COVID-19 deaths nationwide. In California, about 12% of Americans live.
The effect of the pandemic across the country varied by region. Of the most popular regions in California, Los Angeles County fared the worst. For every 100,000 residents, LA County recorded 232 deaths; if the province of LA were a state, it would have had the seventh highest death rate.
The San Francisco Bay Area fared much better; for every 100,000 residents, the Bay Area recorded 79 deaths. If the Bay Area with nine provinces were a state, it would have the 45th highest cumulative death rate COVID-19 in the country of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The signs of progress came when the state was willing to dramatically expand the pool of people who might be eligible to be vaccinated against the virus. The state will formally open vaccinations for all residents aged 16 and older on Thursday. Currently, the nationwide criteria stipulate that only people 50 years and older, those with underlying health conditions, and workers in certain specified essential work sectors are eligible for the vaccine.
Many local jurisdictions have moved faster than the state.
The city of Los Angeles opened vaccinations on Saturday for everyone 16 years and older. People looking for shots at city-run vaccination sites must provide valid identification and be a Los Angeles County resident. City-run sites are open Tuesday through Saturday.
Los Angeles County, in general, expects to receive about 323,000 doses of vaccine this week, down from about 74,000 doses last week due to the reduced supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, public health officials said Sunday. According to authorities, seventy percent of the doses are intended for sites in vulnerable communities, and 57% are needed for appointments in the second dose.
Federal partners also send vaccine directly to some sites in the country, including pharmacies, health clinics, and FEMA sites. According to the Department of Public Health, LA County vaccination sites were able to dispense approximately 700,000 doses last week, and they took those doses into account.
Meanwhile, Orange County health officials on Sunday reported 196 new cases of coronavirus and eight additional deaths.