'Let's Commit To Getting To The Finish Line': Health Officials In LA County Optimistic, Reminding Locals To Keep Taking COVID-19 Precautions
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Los Angeles County health officials on Tuesday continued to urge residents to keep wearing face coverings and practice physical distancing.
There were 120 new coronavirus deaths reported on Tuesday and 1,260 cases, bringing the cumulative countywide case total since the pandemic began to 1,169,550 and 19,215 fatalities.
Numbers were believed to be lower due to due to reporting lags from testing centers due to the long Presidents' Day holiday weekend.
There were 2,855 people hospitalized in L.A. County due to COVID-19 as of Tuesday, and among them, 876 people were in intensive care.
Just early last month, more than 8,000 patients were reported hospitalized from coronavirus. The drastic decline was cause for celebration in the region.
Along with lower hospital numbers, the county also celebrated its rate of new cases falling low enough to allow elementary schools to reopen instruction for some students.
Despite the positive news, L.A. County remained in the most-restrictive purple tier.
"As we wait for more vaccinations, please follow the rules and use all the tools we have to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible from becoming infected,'' county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. "Any time you're out of your home and around others, we ask that you keep physical distance and wear a mask at all times. Wash your hands frequently. Please don't gather with people you don't live with.
"...Let's commit to getting to the finish line of this pandemic the strongest way possible, by consistently doing the actions that prevent serous illness and save lives,'' she said.
Vaccine supplies are still limited in L.A. County and officials in the city of L.A. have been prioritizing second doses for the time being.
After having to shut down Friday and Saturday because they completely ran out of doses, the COVID-19 vaccination super sites run by the city of Los Angeles this week will be forced to prioritize those slated to receive second doses, officials announced Monday.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti reported that the city is only expected to receive 58,000 doses this week: 54,000 of the Moderna vaccine and 4,000 of the Pfizer vaccine.
The resources listed below can provide information about the pandemic and best practices for staying safe:
- L.A. County residents can call 2-1-1
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/
- California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html
- World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
For information about how to get a free coronavirus test in L.A. County, visit https://corona-virus.la/covid-19-testing.
Details about vaccine distribution can be found here.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)