The number of COVID-19-positive patients in LA County hospitals has jumped past the 1,000 mark and the county has reported its highest daily number of virus-related deaths since late March.
The county Department of Public Health reported 18 COVID deaths on Friday, the largest daily number since March 30. The fatalities raised the county's virus-related death toll to 32,413.
According to state figures, there were 1,021 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Friday, up from 989 on Thursday. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 99, down from 103 a day earlier.
Hospital numbers have been steadily rising in recent months, an increase health officials have attributed to renewed rapid spread of the virus thanks to the infectious BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which authorities say are highly contagious and capable of re-infecting previous patients.
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Health officials have said that many of those patients entered the hospital for other reasons before testing positive for COVID, but they still place an added burden on hospital staff as they require special infection-control measures. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday roughly 40% of patients with the virus were admitted for COVID illness, while 60% were admitted for other reasons.
She also said that given the current rate of increase in hospitalizations, Los Angeles County is on pace to reach the "high" virus activity level by next week, which could equate to another universal indoor mask-wearing mandate by the end of the month.
The county is currently in the "medium" virus activity level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will reach the "high" category if the seven-day average of new COVID-related hospital admissions reaches 10 per 100,000 residents.
As of Thursday, the county's admission rate was 8.4 per 100,000 residents. But given the rate of increase over the past two weeks, the county is on pace to reach 10 per 100,000 residents by next Thursday, Ferrer said in an online briefing. She stressed that the estimate is only a projection which could change dramatically based on admission numbers in the coming days.
If the county remains at that high level for two consecutive weeks, it will re-impose a mandatory indoor mask-wearing mandate. Under the current schedule, that would happen on July 29.
Ferrer noted that the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of COVID are now responsible for nearly 40% of all local cases that underwent testing to identify variants. That's roughly two-and-a-half times higher than the rate from just two weeks ago. Nationally, the CDC estimates those two variants are responsible for about 70% of sequenced cases.
"We all now face a higher risk of getting COVID because there are more people infected with the virus who can transmit to others when we gather, go shopping, or attend events," Ferrer said in a statement Friday. "Essential workers, especially those that work directly with the public, also now have more exposures to the virus during their workday.
"Fortunately, we have sensible steps we all can take to reduce this increased risk without forgoing the activities we love. We can wear masks when indoors, test before gathering, and stay home and away from others if we are sick or have tested positive. To reduce stress on the health care system and prevent the worst outcomes of COVID, we can also get vaccinated and boosted, and help those around us get their vaccinations and boosters."
The county reported 6,416 additional COVID cases on Friday, raising the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,160,032. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 15.7% as of Friday.
The number of new cases announced by the county each day is believed to be an undercount due to the prevalence of take-home COVID tests, the results of which are not always reported to the county.
Ferrer clarified on Thursday that the hospital admission rate being relied upon by the county in determining the "high" community level differs from the one being reported weekly by the CDC. She said the CDC figure relating to hospital admission rates actually combines Los Angeles and Orange counties, and Orange County has a substantially higher admission rate than Los Angeles.
The CDC website on Thursday showed both Los Angeles and Orange counties with a COVID hospital admission rate of 9.7 per 100,000 residents, putting both on the precipice of entering the "high" virus activity level. Taken separately, however, Los Angeles' rate is only 8.4 per 100,000, while Orange County's is 13.3 per 100,000, Ferrer said.
LA County will be relying on its separate local rate when determining when the two-week clock will being ticking on a universal indoor mask-wearing mandate.
