COVID-19 cases rise locally

COVID-19 is on the rise and public health is urging Los Angeles residents to practice common sense precautions. 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. Since the middle of May there has been an increase of reported COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County. In the past month alone, reported COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, virus concentrations in wastewater, and the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases has doubled.
Public Health reports 452 average daily COVID-19 cases since mid-May, an increase from the 229 cases reported four weeks ago. Wastewater concentrations of SARS CoV-2, the virus that results in a COVID-19 infection, are at 44 percent of the Winter 2023-2024 winter peak, double the 17 percent reported the first week of July, indicating increasing transmission in LA County.
Public Health 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 seven-day average number of daily COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County is 389. Ten percent of hospitalized COVID patients this past week were in intensive care units. COVID-19 deaths remain relatively stable. Public Health is reporting 1.9 daily average COVID-19 deaths this week, compared to 0.9 in early July.
Public Health urges residents to use the tools available to reduce transmission and prevent severe illness with COVID-19. Vaccination remains the most powerful tool to protect against the severe effects of COVID-19. An updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 will be available this fall in LA County.
Additional doses of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine are still available for Los Angeles County residents 65 and older and provide added protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19. Residents 65 and older can get a dose of the updated vaccine four months after their previous dose. For information about where to get vaccinated, visit lacounty.gov/vaccines.