Los Angeles public health officials are advising all essential workers across the district to wear masks inside their own homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the home, as hospitalizations and deaths continue at an alarming rate.
Officials call it the “worst disaster” the county has experienced in decades.
“At this time, as there is a lot of publicity, we recommend that people put on face covers while they are indoors. It will add a layer of protection as we overcome this wave,” Drs. Barbara Ferrer said at a news conference Monday.
“We recommend that you keep your face hidden if you are a worker who leaves every day or, in fact, you are someone who has to do the essential errands of your family,” Ferrer added.
It arises in cases: Los Angeles reported 12,617 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections in the county to 932,697. An additional 137 deaths were recorded, bringing the total death toll to 12,387.
Deaths increase by 1,000%: In the past seven days, the county has reported more than 1,500 Covid-related deaths, according to the latest health data. Since the rise began in November, Los Angeles County has seen an increase in deaths by more than 1,000%.
Tense hospital resources: Currently, nearly eight thousand people are hospitalized as officials continue to solve infrastructure problems such as low oxygen supply, limited staff resources and scarce bed availability. There are 650 hospital beds and 46 ICU beds available across the county as of Monday afternoon, officials said.
Ten people test positive every minute: Ferrer said that every minute, ten people in Los Angeles County give a positive average of Covid-19. “The detrimental impact on our families and our local hospitals because of this wave is the worst disaster our county has experienced in decades,” he said.
Vaccines: Despite the tragic loss of life, vaccines are making inroads into the entire community, Ferrer said. Los Angeles hospitals received 220,000 doses of vaccines and about 160,000 front-line health workers have been vaccinated. Last week, hospitals began providing dose-finding to their eligible staff and more than 22,000 health workers are fully vaccinated.
Vaccine sites: There are more than 75 vaccination sites in Los Angeles that have been established to help facilitate vaccination to people within the current level of Phase 1A of the state, where non-hospital care workers are primarily immunized. and health workers from unskilled health centers. There are currently about 20 vaccination sites open to frontline health workers and at least five more are expected to open in the near future.