The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 20 new deaths resulting from Covid-19 on Saturday, and 415 new positive cases.
While the number of hospitalizations continues to decrease across the County as vaccines are doled out, the number of deaths and confirmed cases reported today may reflect delays in weekend reporting.
Today’s numbers bring the County to a total of 23,995 deaths and 1,235,422 confirmed cases.
COVID-19 Daily Update:
May 8, 2021
New Cases: 415 (1,235,422 to date)
New Deaths: 20 (23,995 to date)
Current Hospitalizations: 379 pic.twitter.com/uxMjuXMBB2— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) May 8, 2021
At time of reporting, 379 residents are hospitalized with Covid-19; 23% of them are in the ICU.
Covid test results have now been made available to more than 6,571,000 individuals, with 17% testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.6%.
Six of today’s new deaths were of people over the age of 80, with nine people between the ages of 65 and 79 lost to the virus. Two who died were between 50 and 64 years years of age, with two dying between ages 30 and 49. One of the deaths reported came from the City of Long Beach.
On Saturday, Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, acknowledged that “we continue to see declines in cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” asking at the same time that people celebrate this Mother’s Day as safely as they can, with L.A. County “approaching the terrible milestone of 24,000 Covid-19 deaths.
Public Health Encourages Everyone to Celebrate Mother’s Day Safely. 20 New Deaths and 415 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. View https://t.co/pjaH78WsQG for more. pic.twitter.com/IxY6ZHS0AU
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) May 8, 2021
“There continues to be higher risk of COVID-19 transmission and severe health outcomes among unvaccinated people,” Ferrer continued. “Please get vaccinated as soon as you can. Protecting yourself and your family by getting vaccinated is the best gift you can give this Mother’s Day.”
Covid-19 vaccinations are currently available at various County-run and community sites without an appointment, to everyone 16 and older who is either living or working in the County. Several days ago, L.A. County dropped down into the yellow (or least restrictive) tier of California’s reopening blueprint.