The Los Angeles Public Health Department's total of Covid-19 instances, deaths, and hospitalizations on Saturday offered some reasonably good news: we're no longer establishing new records for cases.
Following two days of record-breaking new case numbers, the L.A. Public Health report on Saturday revealed 34,448 new cases, down from 43,712 on Friday.
While this is encouraging news, there were only 16 additional deaths confirmed today, compared to 28 on Friday. As a result, the total number of deaths in Los Angeles has increased. To date, the county has 27,772 residents.
On Saturday, there were 3,200 new hospitalizations, up from 2,902 on Friday, however this number may include people who went to the hospital for another reason and were found to be positive for Covid-19 while there.
Officials from the county's public health department put a different spin on the figures, stressing a more alarming image. They bragged about the weekly totals of more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases in the last seven days, the highest since the outbreak began. Hospitalizations surged, according to officials, while positive test findings increased by more than 20%.
While the overall numbers are still high, the downward trend is encouraging, particularly as the Los Angeles Unified School District prepares to start classes on Tuesday. New positives for children and employees tested this week revealed an increase in infection rates of 13.5 percent, a tenfold increase over totals before the Christmas break.
The majority of Los Angeles County school districts are on track to open on Tuesday. Montebello Unified, the third-largest school district in the county, would be closed for a week before resuming classes.
UCLA, the latest California university to postpone students' return to in-person education, did so on Friday. UCLA's remote teaching will be extended until January 28. Although a two-week delay was originally scheduled, several UC campuses are now kicking the can down the road, fearful of the mounting case numbers.
This week, USC also used remote learning for its inaugural week of classes.
Mask requirements and social distance measures are in force in California for businesses and other indoor activities until at least February 15.
