Los Angeles County officials said Sunday that appointments are available this week at the county’s five major coronavirus vaccination centers in Magic Mountain, the Pomona Fairplex, Cal State Northridge, the Inglewood Forum and the Education Office. of County in Downey.
Appointments can be booked at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/vaccine/index.htm.
Residents who receive the first dose of the vaccine at a county-run high-capacity vaccination site will be provided with the date and location to receive their second dose and will automatically register for the second dose appointment. . They will also receive reminders by email.
On Sunday, the county reported 8,243 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 98 deaths, adding to the 1,073,111 cases and 15,260 fatalities.
There were 6,697 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in the county as of Sunday, compared to 6,881 the day before. That number had reached a high of more than 8,000 earlier this year.
But as that number dwindles, health care workers and ICU capacity continue to overflow, the Southern California region continues to have 0% of space available in the ICU and is under the regional order of stay at home.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials have been asking for patience among residents eager to get a vaccine against COVID-19, with very short supplies and the overloaded online booking system that leaves many people frustrated as they try to schedule quotes.
“We also observe a decrease in hospitalizations and other indicators that we follow, including the test positivity rate, the percentage of visits to emergency services associated with COVID-19, and the percentage of positive respiratory specimens from the COVID at sentinel lab surveillance sites, “said Dr. Simon, the head of science in the department.
“However, despite these promising trends, I want to emphasize that the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are still too high,” he said. So while there is reason to be hopeful, we all need to remain vigilant and remain disciplined, with masks, physical distancing when he is away from home, avoiding meetings and washing our hands frequently. “
Simon said the five sites, each capable of delivering 4,000 shots a day, will operate at a much lower capacity this week, probably between 2,000 and 2,500.
The county expects to receive about 143,900 more doses of vaccine this week. However, since people need to receive two doses of the drug, three to four weeks apart, the bulk of the vaccine coming this week will be used to administer second doses to people who have already received the first vaccine. The director of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer, previously estimated that there will only be 37,900 of the new doses available for people to receive their first dose.
Simon said Friday that the latest figures show that 441,140 doses of vaccine have already been administered in the county, although he said that figure is likely to be much higher due to delays in the total vaccine. As of this week, the county had received about 853,000 total doses.
Simon said people should not look at these figures and assume there are 400,000 unused doses in the county, again pointing out the lag in vaccination reports and daily dose administration. If the county’s weekly allocation doesn’t improve dramatically beyond the current average of about 150,000, “the vaccination effort is likely to extend through 2022,” Simon said.
He said if the county can increase its allocation to 500,000 per week, “we would have the potential to reach 75% of the county’s adult population, or 6 million adults, by mid-summer.”
Meanwhile, he urged patience and said, “We understand the importance of getting the vaccine out as quickly as possible.”
He said the state is updating its vaccine appointment website, to which the county system is linked, so it should work more easily this week.
The county also has a call booking system, which is available from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at 833-540-0473. But that line should only be used by people who can’t use the website, as call volumes are already excessively high, Simon said.
On Saturday, the health department confirmed 269 new deaths and 10,537 new coronavirus cases.
It seems that the rise of COVID-19, which began around Thanksgiving and continued through the New Year, slowed. Now the focus is on vaccinating people, but there is a shortage of doses across the country and even in Los Angeles County. Michelle Valles reports to NBC4 News on Saturday, January 23, 2021.
There were currently 6,881 people with COVID-19 hospitalized and 24% are in the ICU. This is the first time since Dec. 29 that daily hospitalizations have dropped to less than 7,000 patients. But as that number dwindles, health care workers and ICU capacity remain overwhelmed, the Southern California region continues to have 0% of space available in the ICU and remains under the regional order of stay at home.
Eight new cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) were also reported. This brings the total number of MIS-C cases in LA County to 62 children, one of whom has died. The 62 were hospitalized and 45% were treated in the ICU. Of the children with MIS-C, 31% were less than 5 years old; 37% were between 5 and 11; and 32% were between 12 and 20. Latino and Latino children accounted for almost 74% of reported cases.
MIS-C is an inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19. Symptoms include fever that does not go away and inflamed parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. If you think your child has symptoms of MIS-C, contact your primary care provider or urgent care provider. Seek emergency care for critical or life-threatening conditions. If you do not have a primary care provider, dial 211 and LA County will help you connect.
Also Sunday, officials announced the planned opening of an emerging COVID-19 climbing test site at Veteran’s Memorial Park, 6364 Zindell Ave. in Commerce. The site will open on Tuesday.
Trials are free and no health insurance testing is required. All on-site tests will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 26-30.