The number of COVID-positive patients at Los Angeles County hospitals has dropped to just over 1,500, a big drop from the middle of last month, when it topped 4,800, according to the latest state figures released Saturday.
There were 1,502 COVID-19 patients at county hospitals, a decrease of 114 from Friday’s total. Of those patients, 305 were in intensive care, up from 342 the day before.
The latest numbers came as local health officials reported an additional 85 deaths associated with COVID-19 and 3,221 new positive COVID tests, bringing the county’s cumulative totals to 2,780,323 cases and 30,300 deaths.
The rolling average rate of people who have tested positive for the virus was 2.1% through Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, down from 2.4% on Friday and 3.3% on Saturday. Last Sunday.
The drop in hospitalizations prompted the county this week to waive its mask-wearing requirement for outdoor mega-events and in outdoor spaces at schools and daycare centers. The county’s indoor mask-wearing mandate remains in place, even though the state lifted its indoor mask-wearing rule.
The county’s rule will remain in place until its transmission rate, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drops to the “moderate” level and stays there for two weeks. That requires the county to reach an infection rate of 50 per 100,000 residents. As of Friday, the county’s rate was 300 per 100,000.
That rate has been falling steadily, and Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that at the current rate, the county will reach the “moderate” rate by March 16, meaning that the indoor mask-wearing mandate will be lifted by March 30. .
According to figures released this week, 82% of eligible residents age 5 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, while 74% are fully vaccinated and 36% are fully vaccinated and received a COVID-19 vaccine. reinforcement.
Of the county’s total population of 10.3 million, 78% have received at least one dose, 70% are fully vaccinated, and 34% have received a booster shot.
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