Ferrer: New COVID Case Numbers Continue Falling In LA County, Community Transmission Down
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- There was positive news on Monday about the reduction in how coronavirus is spreading in Los Angeles County.
The county on Monday reported another 32 coronavirus deaths and 987 new cases, with the numbers lower than usual due to weekend lags, officials said.
Los Angeles County's public health director Barbara Ferrer said the rate of people testing positive for the virus has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic started, and fewer health care workers are getting sick and dying from COVID-19.
"We are moving in the right direction, a direction that will hopefully lead to us moving forward on our recovery journey, where more of our young people can go back to school for on-site learning,'' Ferrer said in a Monday briefing.
The average number of daily new coronavirus cases has dropped to below 1,000, which Ferrer said is a return to levels seen before the winter surge.
RELATED: LA City Vaccine Sites Set To Reopen Tuesday, With Mostly Second-Dose Appointments
"These declines are real and we're grateful for the choices made and the work done by everyone -- individuals and businesses -- that is making this possible," Ferrer said.
Another lower number also called for celebration in L.A. County: the average daily testing-positivity rate over the past seven days fell to about 3%.
"That's actually the lowest it's ever been since we've been offering testing in the community,'' Ferrer said. "So yes, testing is down, but community transmission is also down as well, and that also drives a reduced demand for testing -- less people have symptoms, less people feel sick, less people feel like they've had an exposure.''
At the beginning of January, Ferrer said, the testing-positivity average was about 17% higher at approximately 20%.
RELATED: Teachers, Food Workers Now Eligible To Get Vaccinated In LA County
An estimated 1.2 million more people now have access to coronavirus vaccines in LA County. Officials are urging people who are not eligible not to take away appointment slots from eligible workers.
In the city of Los Angeles, city-operated COVID-19 vaccination sites, including the supersite at Dodger Stadium, are scheduled to reopen Tuesday.
City sites will be primarily providing second doses this week for people due for the required follow-up shot, but there will be a small number of first-dose appointments available throughout the week, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
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.)
