The number of coronavirus-related deaths reported in Los Angeles County on Sunday, Jan. 30, was among the lowest daily counts in weeks while the testing positivity rate fell once again — continuing a slow trend that further suggests the winter surge may be on the descent.
But the 40 deaths and 16,835 new cases reported Sunday likely reflect weekend reporting delays, the county Department of Public Health said in a statement. And with the mass gatherings that occurred Sunday because of the NFC championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium — and those that will happen again two weeks later because of the Super Bowl — the threat of the quick-spreading omicron variant infecting large swaths of people remains. Indeed, public health officials have been urging folks to hold gatherings outside and to take precautions when coming together for watch parties.
“With multiple opportunities for gathering and celebrating in the coming days, including cheering on the LA Rams,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a Saturday, Jan. 29, statement, “following sensible safety measures will allow us to continue our recent decline.”
Still, despite the likely reporting delays, the 40 deaths tallied was one of the lowest — though not the lowest — reported in recent weeks. The county’s Sunday updates generally come with the disclaimer about delays. But the previous Sunday, Jan. 23, the county reported 63 deaths.
In all, 28,923 people have died in Los Angeles County since the pandemic began, the health department said.
And the new cases reported Sunday — 4,874 fewer daily cases than were reported Saturday — brought that total to 2,648,751.
The daily positivity rate, meanwhile, was 9.1% on Sunday, five percentage points lower than Saturday — and far better than the 15.1% reported Jan. 23. The daily positivity rate, based on a seven-day average, was 17.4% on Jan. 16.
The county also reported 3,852 people were in hospitals with COVID-19 on Sunday, 146 fewer than what state figures showed on Saturday. On Jan. 23, 4,568 people were hospitalized. Intensive-care unit patients, however, ticked up. State figures updated Sunday showed 759 COVID-19 patients in the ICU countywide, an increase of 14 from the previous day.
But because transmission remains high, public health officials have stressed the need to protect yourself and others, especially as the NFL season draws to a close and one of the country’s biggest party days — the Super Bowl — is just two weeks away.
The Lunar New Year is also this week.
Residents, the county has said, should not host or go to gatherings if they are sick. Hosting activities outdoors is always safer, especially while eating and drinking. In crowded indoor settings, people are urged to wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask.
Those attending Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood had to be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a negative test. Negative test results had to be from either a PCR test taken within two days of the event or an antigen test taken within one day of the event. Attendees were also required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, at the event, except while actively eating and drinking.
“For residents who are at high-risk, including those older, immunocompromised, or with underlying health conditions, gatherings can be especially risky given the still high rates of transmission,” Ferrer said. “If you are going to gather, layering on as many protections as possible will provide good defense from possible exposure to the virus.”
As folks filed into the stadium Sunday afternoon, SoFi employees checked people’s vaccination or negative test statuses against their identifications — and fans were masked.
Once inside, however, many of the fans could be seen not wearing masks, even when not eating or drinking.
Los Angeles County rules say masks at such events are required unless eating or drinking.
That requirement also applies to restaurants and bars, which made it nearly impossible to tell if fans watching the game at those businesses were following rules. The food and drinks flowed freely at restaurants and bars throughout the county Sunday afternoon, as folks watched the game, so customers rarely had their masks on.
Vaccinations, though, remain the best way to protect against the coronavirus.
Countywide, at least 81% of eligible residents aged 5 and above have received at least one dose of vaccine and at least 72% are fully vaccinated.
But the county last updated its vaccine dashboard on Thursday, Jan. 27, and that data is through Jan. 23 — so it’s possible those rates are now higher.
Still, as of Jan. 23, only 32% of eligible county residents were fully vaccinated with a booster shot. Of the county’s overall 10.3 million population, 77% had received one dose, 69% were fully vaccinated and 31% were vaccinated and boosted.
The vaccination rate among children aged 5 to 11 has remained low, with only 31% having received at least one dose and only 21% fully vaccinated as of Jan. 23.
The low vaccination rate among children, Ferrer said, “creates significant vulnerability for spread” of the virus.