Los Angeles County crossed the grim milestone of 23,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday as the virus maintained its title as the county’s leading cause of death, but hospitalizations continued a downward trajectory.
Meanwhile, health officials expressed optimism about Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement that eligibility for the vaccine will be expanded to people age 50 and older on April 1, followed by all people age 16 and older starting. two weeks later.
“Expanding vaccine eligibility over the next several weeks will make it easier for more people to get vaccinated as long as the county receives more doses,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “During these times of supply shortages, our priority is to ensure that residents and workers in the most affected communities can get vaccinated.
As eligibility expands, we will redouble our efforts to increase the accessibility and availability of the vaccine in communities with the highest risk and lowest vaccination rates. “
California expanded eligibility to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, at a time when the state has seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases and infections in recent months.
Newsom said that eligibility is being expanded in response to an anticipated increase in the supply of vaccines in the state over the next month. Los Angeles County has been receiving, on average, about 300,000 doses per week, despite having the ability to deliver more than double that amount weekly.
The county has already started discussions with several vaccine providers to expand capacity in light of the upcoming increase in supply. Meanwhile, health officials have continued to preach adherence to infection control measures such as face covering and physical distancing until most of the population is vaccinated.
On Thursday, the county reported another 66 deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the county’s total for the entire pandemic to 23,020. The county also reported another 608 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 1,216,250.
According to state figures, there were 692 people hospitalized in the county due to COVID as of Thursday, up from 729 on Wednesday. The number of people in intensive care increased, from 169 on Wednesday to 183 on Thursday.
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Ferrer warned Wednesday that the most infectious COVID-19 variants are becoming more prevalent in the county, notably a variant grown in California and another identified for the first time in the UK.
The spread of those variants, which can be transmitted more easily from person to person, has raised concerns about a possible reversal of the downward trend in infections, at a time when the county is poised to make further progress on the reopening plan. state economy.
But unless there is a further major increase in the number of COVID cases, the county is on track to enter the less restrictive orange tier of the State Plan for a Safer Economy by the first week of April, likely in the days after. to Easter Sunday.
Once that happens, it will be up to the county to decide whether to fully adhere to the state’s orange level guidelines for businesses that would be allowed to open or expand their capacity. Going to the orange level would authorize the county to lift all capacity restrictions on retail and personal care businesses, while increasing the capacity limit from 25% to 50% for movie theaters, churches, museums, zoos, aquariums and restaurants.
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The gym capacity could be increased from 10% to 25%. The orange level would also allow bars to reopen outdoors, while game rooms and family entertainment centers could be cleared to resume indoor operations.
However, counties are allowed to enact stricter restrictions than the state allows or modify the guidelines. For example, Los Angeles County still prohibits restaurants and breweries from turning on their televisions to avoid sports fan gatherings, a rule that only applies in Los Angeles County.
Ferrer said health officials will work with the county Board of Supervisors and representatives of the business sectors affected by the change to the orange level, and that they will “assess what makes sense for Los Angeles County.” “We are committed, together with everyone, to move forward,” he said. “And we are excited about this opportunity to stay on our recovery journey. And we know that this means a lot to everyone. But we have to do it in a way that doesn’t compromise security. ” Most notable on the orange level is a possible reopening of bars, with outdoor service only.
The first participants in the clinical trial have already received the initial injection of this vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer together with Germany’s BioNTech.
Ferrer said the county will explore ways to reopen such businesses and “what kinds of modifications could really improve safety as much as possible.”
Non-food-serving breweries and wineries were cleared last weekend to reopen for alcohol service, but with limited hours, advance reservations are required for customers and a 90-minute time limit for guests.
Ferrer said the restriction list, while easily applied to a brewery or winery, “probably doesn’t make much sense when you think about how people generally enjoy being in a bar.”
“That’s always going to be a concern because, again, these are places where people can’t wear their masks and can’t keep their distance for long periods of time,” he said. “… So we will have to analyze it carefully.”
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