LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Division of Public Well being Monday once more cautioned residents towards attending giant and small gatherings — whether or not held outside or indoors.
L.A. County well being officers Monday mentioned folks between the ages of 12 and 50 account for 68% of all new COVID-19 infections. (Picture by Robyn Beck/AFP-Getty)
In accordance with Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public well being director, folks between the ages of 18 and 49 now account for 58% of all newly confirmed coronavirus instances within the county, with these between the ages of 12 and 50 accounting for 68% of all new infections.
She additionally famous a rise within the proportion of youthful COVID-19 sufferers hospitalized. In mid-Could, folks ages 18-29 made up 5% of hospitalized virus sufferers. Now they account for 10%, she mentioned.
“As you may see, folks of all ages are susceptible to being contaminated with COVID-19, and it’s our youthful teams which might be conserving our case counts excessive,” Ferrer mentioned. “However we additionally see that individuals of all ages can sadly turn into tragically unwell and a few folks will go away. So it’s essential that individuals of all ages perceive and use each instrument now we have to guard themselves and one another from transmission of this virus.”
Ferrer pointed particularly to gatherings — from small occasions with family and friends to large-scale protests and sports activities victory celebrations — as a serious contributor to the virus’ continued unfold.
“I additionally assume there’s a false sense of safety now we have once we’re with folks we all know,” she mentioned. “And time and time and time once more that isn’t correct and oftentimes has a devastating penalties when some folks get sick and a few of these folks find yourself having to be hospitalized.”
And regardless of the county’s enjoyable of its native well being order to permit outside gatherings with three or fewer households, Ferrer mentioned the change was not an encouragement to attend them.
“They’re fairly prescribed — they must be outdoors; everybody must be sporting a face overlaying; folks must be six ft aside,” Ferrer mentioned. “And that’s simply because we can not afford to have extra instances right here in L.A. County.”
The priority over gatherings grows as fall approaches, bringing with it the Thanksgiving vacation and cooler climate that would drive folks indoors.
“We’re more and more turning into conscious of how a lot simpler it’s to transmit this virus indoors, significantly in a setting like Thanksgiving the place individuals are going to spend so much of time consuming and ingesting, which implies you’re not going to essentially maintain that face overlaying on your self and your friends received’t be capable to do this,” Ferrer mentioned.
Ferrer mentioned all indoor celebrations must be restricted to 1 family to forestall additional unfold of the virus.
The county Monday reported 923 newly confirmed instances and one extra fatality, bringing countywide totals to 289,366 instances and 6,877 deaths.
There have been 722 folks hospitalized as a result of virus, down from 752 on Sunday.
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