Local leaders gathered Monday to provide the latest pandemic stats, which include the first positive cases in both the jail and homeless populations.
Seven more individuals have died from coronavirus-related illness in Los Angeles County as the area reports an additional 686 newly diagnosed cases in a 48-hour time span.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, released the stats at Monday’s press briefing downtown, during which she said that of the seven fatalities, six were aged 65 and older, while the other was between the ages of 41 and 65. All of the six who died suffered from pre-existing health conditions. L.A. County leaders who joined Ferrer at Monday’s press conference were Kathryn Barger, Chair of the Board of Supervisors; Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of Health Services; Kevin McGowan, director of the Office of Emergency Management; and Keith Knox, Treasurer and Tax Collector, who all provided the latest updates and protocols the county is taking to tackle the pandemic.
Countywide, coronavirus or COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, has claimed the lives of 44 residents, while the total case count stands at 2,474 as of Monday. Per Ferrer, the mortality rate remains 1.8 percent, and she was quick to caution that it reflects “a staggering reminder how deadly this disease can, in fact, be.” It’s also a disease that, for many, leads to hospitalizations. Of the 2,474 cases, 492 have been hospitalized at some point, reflecting 20 percent of all positive cases, she said, adding that “it can cause very serious illness of all ages, but particularly those who are older.”
Ferrer also provided an update on the investigations her team is handling inside institutional settings across the county based on positive cases. At the 25 facilities (18 are nursing homes or skilled nursing homes), there are a total of 130 positive coronavirus cases, representing both staff and residents. Eleven of those facilities have three or more confirmed cases, signifying an outbreak.
Ferrer declined to say whether one of those facilities is the Twin Towers correctional facility, though it was confirmed Monday that there is one positive coronavirus case in the L.A. County’s jail population. The individual, per Barger, is no longer being held behind bars while receiving care at a medical facility. Furthermore, there are “four or five” cases among staff members who work at a correctional institution, Ferrer confirmed. The county also now has two positive cases among its homeless population, and one staffer who works in interim housing has also tested positive.
Monday’s updates came as the city and county continue to push forward with aggressive measures to increase testing capacity as well as to help soften the burden of area hospitals. As of Monday, Los Angeles opened its fifth coronavirus testing site, adding to locations including Dodger Stadium. An online application form is being hosted by the City of Los Angeles here. Also, the city and the county are working together to transform the L.A. Convention Center into a field hospital where they will treat COVID-19 patients before they are well enough to transition to home or hotel isolation.
As of Monday, Ghaly reported that vacancy is not yet an issue at county hospitals. Of 22,000 beds, there are 1,573 hospital beds and 214 intensive care beds available, while 865 ventilators are unused and available. In a separate press conference, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new initiative to recruit medical professionals in a variety of capacities to help prepare for a potential surge in hospitalizations and COVID-19 positive cases.
Ferrer also provided an update on testing. As of Sunday, more than 15,500 people in L.A. County have been tested, a huge spike from Thursday’s number of 11,000. Still, she expressed frustration over the lag time in receiving results — sometimes as long as six days — which could result in seeing the number of positive cases spike over the coming week. “I do think it’s appropriate for us to be prepared to announce we had a huge increase in both positive cases and a huge increase in deaths,” Ferrer said. “We’re all doing everything we can so we don’t get to that date.”
Ferrer was asked to comment on Newsom’s press conference from earlier in the day, during which he said that California could see the coronavirus pandemic peak in the state in mid-to-late May, contrary to what some other reports have indicated that it could happen by the end of April. Ferrer said her team hopes to have a full report available at the end of this week.
“The truth is none of us really know,” she said. “We’re all making the best guesses using different modeling techniques.”
The days ahead will be critical in determining where the outbreak goes in Los Angeles, based on whether the numbers double or triple through the first week of April. “It’s hard because nobody has seen this virus here before," said Ferrer. "Most of us have no immunity for this is, but what I’m grateful for is the seriousness with which the residents [have responded]. Obviously those are measures that will help dampen our curve and we might have a different trajectory here in L.A. County. That’s the hope I offer.”
Knox was on hand to provide updates on the county’s approach to property taxes with an April 10 due date looming. He said that county leaders do not have the ability to extend the tax deadline, so the due date stands. However, Knox said his office will work with individuals who foresee issues in making property tax payments by waiving late-payment penalties on a case-by-case basis. Property taxes provide a “critical source” of revenue for the county, as the money is often used to fund public works, schools and emergency response.
