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LIST: Where to Get Tested for COVID-19 in LA County and City of LA?

Find out where to get tested for COVID-19 in the city of Los Angeles and LA County.Same-day appointments are still available at testing sites across LA County.covid19.lacounty.gov/testingEarlier this month, due to unhealthy air quality from the Bobcat and El Dorado fires, these COVID-19 testing sites were closed:The following testing sites are closed today, September 11th:California State University, Los Angeles (Los Angeles)College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita)East LA College (Monterey Park)Pomona Fairplex Gate 17 (Pomona)San Gabriel Valley Airport (El Monte)Montebello Civic Center (Montebello)Panorama City (Panorama)The following testing sites will remain closed Saturday and Sunday: September 12th - 13th:East LA College (Monterey Park)Pomona Fairplex Gate 17 (Pomona)San Gabriel Valley Airport (El Monte)Montebello Civic Center (Montebello) (testing site is not open on Sundays)All residents who had a testing appointment at an impacted testing site will be notified via email to reschedule their appointment.For residents who did not provide an email, a notification will be made via phone call. Due to unhealthy air quality, these #COVID19 testing sites will close today (9/10) & tomorrow (9/11):-College of the Canyons-East LA College-Pomona Fairplex Gate 17-San Gabriel Valley Airport-Montebello Civic Center-Panorama CityMore info: https://t.co/OvtgvladYs pic.twitter.com/wvHirQdlhD— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) September 10, 2020 There are locations in LA County and Los Angeles for both drive-through and walk-up COVID-19 testing. Find the locations here:VISIT: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/ or https://coronavirus.lacity.org/testing to view the full list of testing sites and make an appointment.LABOR DAYLA County announced that due to the Labor Day holiday and the extreme heat this weekend, the following COVID-19 testing sites will open with modified hours, or be closed:Due to extreme heat and holiday this weekend, testing sites will be operating on modified schedules.The following LA County-operated testing sites will be open on Monday, Sept. 7th:Beach Cities Health District - 514 N Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (normal hours)College of the Canyons - 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (modified hours 8:00am – 2:00pm)Downey – Rancho Los Amigos South Campus - 12840 Dahlia Ave., Downey, CA 90242 (normal hours)Palmdale Hammack Center - 815 E Avenue Q6, Palmdale CA 93550 (modified hours 8:00am – 12:00pm)Panorama City - 14665 Roscoe Blvd. Panorama City, CA 91402 (normal hours)Pomona Fairplex Gate 17 - 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 (modified hours 8:00am – 2:00pm)San Gabriel Valley Airport - 4233 Santa Anita Ave., El Monte, CA 91731 (modified hours 8:00am – 2:00pm)South Gate Park - 9615 Pinehurst Ave, South Gate, CA 90280 (normal hours)All State-operated testing sites will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7thSelect LA County – operated testing sites will be closed on Monday Sept. 7th:Bellflower City HallEast LA CollegeThe ForumMLK Medical CampusMontebello Civic CenterAll LA City-operated drive through testing sites will also be closed on Saturday, Sept 5th and Monday, Sept. 7th due to the extreme heat and to ensure the safety of testing site staff and volunteers. LA City mobile testing sites will be in operation on Saturday, Sept 5th at Liberty Park in Koreatown and the Downtown L.A. Medical Center. For more information, visit coronavirus.lacity.org/testing.FOUR NEW SITES OPEN UPFour new sites operated by the County of LA opened up in August that will offer appointments for COVID-19 tests.Due to this expansion, County-supported testing sites will have the capacity to test up to 55,000 residents a week. Compton – Gonzales Park – 1001 W. Cressey St., Compton, CA 90222 – opening Monday, August 10thFlorence Firestone – Leon Washington Park Community Center, 8908 Maie Ave., Los Angeles CA 90002 – opening Monday, August 10th-Two additional sites, operated by Optum Serve, will be adding additional capacity starting Monday, August 10th:-California State University, Los Angeles - 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-Hawthorne Memorial Center - Betty Ainsworth Sports Center - 3851 W El Segundo Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250Azusa – Memorial Park Gymnasium - 340 N. Orange Ave., Azusa, CA 91702 – opening Tuesday, August 11thMacArthur Park – Mexican Consulate – 2401 W. 6th, Los Angeles, CA 90057 – opening Wednesday, August 12thLast week, LA county added more appointments at County operated COVID-19 testing sites. On August 4, there will be a walk-up testing site at the MLK Medical Campus at 12021 S. Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059.3 NEW TESTING SITES ADDED IN LA COUNTYLA County is adding three new COVID-19 testing sites.Now health officials are urging those with COVID-19 symptoms to get tested or if you think you've been exposed or if you're a frontline healthcare worker. In the past, there was a shortage of tests as everyone scrambled to get tested.By the end of this week, these additional sites will have the capacity to test almost 2,000 residents a day, five days a week.South Gate Park - 4900 Southern Ave – opening July 27thMontebello Civic Center -1600 W. Beverly Blvd – opening July 28thPanorama City - 14665 Roscoe Blvd – opening July 29thThe City of Los Angeles last week opened a new site at the VA Parking Lot 15, at Jackie Robinson Stadium.“Our communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to decades of systemic inequities and this is unacceptable,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis in a press release. “While a County testing site may ask for insurance information in order to recover costs, no one will be turned away for being uninsured. We will not allow financial barriers or immigration status to get in the way of access to COVID-19 testing. With today’s announcement of these new testing sites, we are demonstrating that LA County continues to equitably distribute resources to make sure historically underinvested communities do not continue to bear the brunt of this crisis.”LA County's launching three new #COVID19 testing sites next week:South Gate Park - 4900 Southern Ave – opening July 27thMontebello Civic Center -1600 W. Beverly Blvd – opening July 28thPanorama City - 14665 Roscoe Blvd – opening July 29th@KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) July 22, 2020 MORE TESTS ADDED AT CITY SITESIn the past where so much testing was done - the most since the pandemic began - Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Friday there would be 18,000 more tests added to city testing sites next week.Garcetti said there has been a surge in demand adding all tests are booked up for Saturday now and tests will be added for Monday.At city sites to meet the demand, 18,000 additional tests will be added, according to Garcetti Friday. He said the city and county have now tested more than 1 million people through the drive-through and walk-up testing sites.Earlier in the week, Garcetti tackled the subject of testing Wednesday and who should be tested as demand shoots up and cases and hospitalizations surge in LA and LA County.Garcetti said on Tuesday at LA County and city sites 20,000 COVID-19 tests were performed, a new record.He said the next two days are booked up but they are adding more testing for this Saturday and into next week. He said the surge in states like Texas, Florida and other states have caused labs to be past capacity."I want to be clear that the ones we have here are able to respond quickly," he said."Testing remains a critical tool," he said. Garcetti said "we hear every single day that there are not enough tests. We are building that up."Just today, health officials are urging ONLY those who have symptoms or have had known contact with the virus to get tested as demand for testing builds. Garcetti said the city get questions on whether everyone should get tested and how often.He said like LA County gave guidance today, that tests should be prioritized for those who have symptoms or think they've been exposed or essential workers or work in high-risk environments. He said "a COVID-19 test is not an excuse to break the rules and engage in social gatherings outside your household...A test is not a passport to party." The daily positivity rate (a composite of a 7-day rolling average) is 10.4%, a rate that Los Angeles County hasn’t seen since late-April. Right now, there are more than 3,600 deaths from COVID-19 in LA County and more than 123,000 COVID-19 cases. In LA County, the LA County Public Health Director has issued a warning about the coronavirus outbreak as cases and hospitalizations surge. Go to coronavirus.lacity.org/testing"We hear every single day that there are not enough tests," says @MayorOfLA. "We are building that up." He says LA County and City sites did 20,000 #COVID19 tests yesterday, a new record. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) July 9, 2020 DODGER STADIUM BACK UP AND RUNNING AFTER FOURTH OF JULYA day after the largest COVID-19 site in the Los Angeles region was closed due to the July 4 holiday, the Dodger Stadium testing site is back up and running Tuesday.The Dodger Stadium site was closed Friday, Saturday and Monday, according to reporting from the Mayor's official spokesperson.Find out where to schedule an appointment to get a COVID-19 test: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/Update: @MayorOfLA spox says it's a holiday closure. Three city sites open today: Carbon Health, Crenshaw Christian Center and Kedren Community Health Center. "City sites...will provide 80,000 tests this week." @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) July 6, 2020 Last month, LA County announced in an emailed press release that free COVID-19 testing is available in Los Angeles County for next-day appointments at a variety of sites.Currently, there are four sites with availability subject to change below. Visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing for an up-to-date list of sites that have availability, as this may change over the course of the day.These are the following locations where individuals can register for an appointment:Crenshaw Christian Center: 7901 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, 90044Dodger Stadium: 1101 Scott Avenue, Los Angeles, 90012Lincoln Park: 3501 Valley Boulevard., Los Angeles, 90095West Valley - Warner Center: 6097 Canoga Avenue, Woodland Hills, 91367Also last month, the registration website for COVID-19 testing at the LA City and County supported sites was showing no appointments available.All available appointments for that week in June were full. In a press release, LA County stated that "the lack of availability is primarily due to LA City not opening slots for registration at City-operated sites beyond tomorrow, June 24, as they migrate to a new vendor and registration platform; in addition to paring back testing sites and slots.""All LA County supported testing sites, which had appointments opened through Friday, June 26, are also full. LA County is also experiencing high demand at the State-supported testing sites, which are full for the remainder of the week," the press release said.There are some additional testing sites run independently from LA County or the state that are still doing same day or next day availability. Visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/ for a list of sites that have availability and to register.Later on Tuesday, more appointments will open for LA County supported sites for Saturday, June 27, Sunday, June 28, and Monday, June 29.As #COVID19 cases and hospitalizations continue to climb, LA County officials say testing appointments at capacity for the week. @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/edMOrpWlKY— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 23, 2020 NASAL SWABS FOR LA COUNTY TESTINGMeanwhile, the drive-through COVID-19 testing sites in LA County have switched to self-administered nasal swabs earlier in June.After the city opened up testing to all LA County residents in April, regardless of whether they have symptoms, turnaround times shot up. Initially reported by KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta in May, the lag time for test results was taking days.The website to register for a test is coronavirus.lacity.org/testingSome people were waiting for more than a week to get their results. But people who've been tested more recently say they're getting them within a day or two.The city's testing sites continue to use oral swabs. KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta reports that Dr. Christina Ghaly, the county's health services director, says that's because they believe there are fewer false negatives with nasal swabs.County public health officials say more than 720,000 COVID-19 test results have been reported to them. Eight percent have been positive.Based on my very unofficial survey, if you get a COVID-19 test in LA now, you should get results in a day or two (if you don’t, check junk mail). Waits at Dodger Stadium can be very long. Morning appointments seem to go faster.— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 10, 2020 County drive-thru sites switching to nasal swabs because officials believe they result in fewer false negatives. City sites using oral swabs. @MayorOfLA spox says city is confident in Curative test kits but “will be looking into whether we can follow the County’s lead.” @KNX1070 https://t.co/uijZcgdutl— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 10, 2020 After days of protests that rocked the city of Los Angeles and elsewhere in LA County for part of May and June - and curfews - all COVID-19 testing sites reopened in June to administer free, COVID-19 tests to everyone, with or without symptoms.Some LA City and LA County testing sites, with some exceptions, were closed down after protests erupted over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota. Some LA city testing sites shut down because volunteers didn't feel safe, according to previous briefings from the Mayor. Some LA city sites, like the one that opened at Dodgers stadium last month, remained open this week while others in LA County had modified hours.The website to register for a test is coronavirus.lacity.org/testingAll COVID-19 testing sites will reopen tomorrow in the City and County of L.A. Thank you to the more than 30,000 Angelenos who have already been tested for COVID-19 this week at City and County sites. https://t.co/rHWABmXUEl.— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) June 4, 2020 In May, the city of Los Angeles opened a new COVID-19 testing site at Dodgers stadium. The site is in partnership with CORE, actor Sean Penn's global nonprofit that has not only done relief work in other countries hit by disasters but also runs testing sites in LA, and LAFD.The site has the capacity to test up to 6,000 people per day."This builds on the work we have been doing for weeks and months. We want testing to be easy, accessible and free for everyone here in Los Angeles," the Mayor said standing at Dodgers stadium Tuesday morning.He said the scale of this "is unprecedented," adding he just got tested at the site himself.Garcetti said there are now more than 10 testing sites across the city of Los Angeles and 36 testing sites in LA County and on average 15,000 are tested per day.Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten said they started testing at Dodgers stadium 10 weeks ago and in those 10 weeks they've tested more than 40,000 people. In April the Mayor of LA announced that all residents, with or without COVID-19 symptoms, can now be tested.That meant the demand has gone up. Earlier in the month, Garcetti addressed the wait times for test results during a question and answer portion of the briefing to KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta."There was no question that in the last two weeks, as more tests were added, that that test time slowed down," he said to Peschiutta."We need to bring that number down."Peschiutta reported that Garcetti hopes to get turnaround time to 24 hours instead of days.LISTEN TO THE MAYOR:1/Demand shot up when LA opened #COVID19 testing to all county residents, regardless of whether they have symptoms. @MayorOfLA kept saying avg wait time for results was 30 hours. I kept hearing from ppl who were waiting days, even a week. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) May 14, 2020 3/ @MayorOfLA's office provided the following breakdown of wait times on test results:0-2 days: 68%3-5 days: 30%5+ days: 1%@KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) May 14, 2020 Garcetti announced in April that Los Angeles will become the first major city in America to offer free, wide-scale testing to all of its residents with or without symptoms."We did that in just 40 days. Those with symptoms will, of course, have the first priority. We have the capacity, we believe, to move forward with that starting tonight," Garcetti said.The testing will be open to any resident of LA County, with tests administered at eight sites in the city of LA.In May, the Mayor also announced two additional testing sites in the city that will open on Wednesday –– one in the Valley and one in South L.A.He said as of today, the city has the capacity to test 18,500 people daily. On Wednesday that number jumps to 36 testing sites, including Northridge and Baldwin Hills locations, the Mayor said on Tuesday.Testing time will also be extended till 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the sites to accommodate the demand of people who want to be tested, according to the Mayor in a recent briefing.You need to schedule an appointment first. The tests are mouth swab tests and are free.The website is coronavirus.lacity.org/testingMeanwhile, LA County also has eight sites that have opened or will open in the coming weeks. They are part of Gov. Newsom's order to add more testing sites across the state this week.To Register for these sites: Please visit lhi.care/covidtestingAnnouncing that L.A. is now the first major city in America to offer free COVID-19 testing to all residents. While priority will still be given to those with symptoms, individuals without symptoms can also be tested. Sign up at https://t.co/rHWABmXUEl. pic.twitter.com/TYqo6Bzwxe— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 30, 2020 Garcetti said testing will be expanded to include construction workers who may be asymptomatic or without symptoms.Garcetti said testing has been expanded to include delivery drivers, rideshare drivers and taxi drivers who can now get a test at one of these testing sites, even if they are asymptomatic.Testing is available to all critical workers, like grocery store workers, first responders, healthcare workers, without symptoms. Exhibiting no symptoms means someone is asymptomatic. "They can get a test even if they don't have symptoms," Garcetti said.CLICK FOR MORE INFO: coronavirus.lacity.org/testingGarcetti said effective immediately same-day or next-day testing results is available for anybody with COVID-19 symptoms.New testing sites have opened up in the last few weeks including Inglewood at the Forum, Bellflower, El Monte, Bell and downtown near Macarthur Park.Some new testing sites, including drive-through locations, have opened: Beverly Hospital (309 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640)Good Samaritan Hospital (1225 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017)PIH Health City of Bell (6480-6410 Atlantic Ave., Bell, CA 90203)PIH Health Hospital - Whittier (12401 Washington Blvd., Whittier, CA 90602)There are now 33 COVID-19 testing locations across the city and county with the capacity to test 12,000 people daily. By the end of today, we will have tested approximately 80,000 people since we first launched our testing.— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 21, 2020 New drive up #COVID19 testing sites are opening in LA County this morning. Testing is available to all LA County residents with symptoms.To learn more: https://t.co/y0PxUBzgjtTo register and see if you are eligible for a test:https://t.co/sSF8LOTWOZ pic.twitter.com/dcRc6tqaGl— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) April 15, 2020 Earlier in the month, Los Angeles City Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorell told KNX there are also two walk-in sites where you have to make an appointment and walk-in. There is also mobile testing that is only available for elderly care facilities and nursing homes, he said.Most of the sites are drive-through so people don't even have to leave their car. We’re offering free COVID-19 testing for all L.A. County residents with symptoms.Please go to https://t.co/rHWABmXUEl to get more information and schedule an appointment. Share this and help us save lives. pic.twitter.com/clnOH9fn0U— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 13, 2020

September 20, 2020

Trump Contradicts CDC Director on Vaccine Mass Distribution

WASHINGTON (AP) — Openly contradicting the government's top health experts, President Donald Trump predicted on Wednesday that a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus could be ready as early as next month and in mass distribution soon after, undermining the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and calling him "confused” in projecting a longer time frame.Trump also disagreed with Dr. Robert Redfield about the effectiveness of protective masks — which the president recommends but almost never wears — and said he'd telephoned Redfield to tell him so.Earlier in the day, the CDC sent all 50 states a “playbook” for distribution of a vaccine to all Americans free of cost when one is proven safe and effective — which is not yet the case. Redfield told a congressional hearing that health care workers, first responders and others at high risk would get the vaccine first, perhaps in January or even late this year, but it was unlikely to be available more broadly, again assuming approval, before late spring or summer.Redfield, masked at times in a Senate hearing room, spoke emphatically of the importance of everyone wearing protective masks to stop the pandemic, which has killed nearly 200,000 Americans.“I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against COVID than when I take a COVID vaccine.”Trump, who has strongly recommended all year that restaurants, stores and cities in general “reopen," mentioned on Tuesday that waiters have struggled with their face coverings and do not like them.As for vaccinations, Trump said Wednesday, “We think we can start some time in October." One of his recently added advisers, Dr. Scott Atlas, said as many as 700 million doses could be available by the end of March.Trump made the prediction even though the vaccine is still being tested in human subjects, and some health experts have said they believe a safe and highly effective vaccine is several months way, if not much longer.CDC sent a planning document on Wednesday to U.S. states, territories and some big cities. Adding to logistical complications, vaccines likely will have to be given in two doses spaced weeks apart and will have to be refrigerated.Redfield said states are not ready to deal with the demand for such a distribution and some $6 billion in new funding would be needed to get the nation prepared.Unswayed, Trump said, “We’re ready to move, and I think it will be full distribution."Redfield said any vaccine available in November or December would be in “very limited supply,” and reserved for first responders and people most vulnerable to COVID-19. The shot wouldn’t be broadly available until the spring or summer of 2021, he estimated.The entire vaccine enterprise faces continued public skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they’d get vaccinated in an Associated Press-NORC poll taken in May. Since then, questions have only mounted about whether the government is trying to rush treatments and vaccines to help Trump’s reelection chances.The Health and Human Services Department announced Wednesday that political appointee Michael Caputo would take a leave of absence to "focus on his health and the well-being of his family.” The news followed revelations that Caputo had tried to gain editorial control over the CDC's scientific publications on COVID-19, which he contended were hurting the Trump administration.Redfield said that the “scientific integrity” of his agency’s reports “has not been compromised and it will not be compromised under my watch.” He also rejected questions about whether the CDC's timeline for states to be ready for a vaccine by Nov. 1 was politically motivated.“The worst thing that could happen is if we have a vaccine delivered and we’re still not ready to distribute,” Redfield told Senate lawmakers. “There was absolutely no political thinking about it.”Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, said political interference from HHS had damaged public trust in the government’s health information.“The Trump administration needs to leave the science to the scientists immediately,” Murray said.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said while campaigning that he trusts what scientists say about a potential vaccine — but not Trump.Biden has said he would take a vaccine “tomorrow” if it were available but he would want to “see what the scientists said” first.As for the planned vaccine campaign, Redfield said that his agency will be working with state health officials to implement the preparations in coming days.Among the highlights of the plan:— For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.— Vaccination of the U.S. population won't be a sprint but a marathon. Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the entire population.— The vaccine itself will be free of charge, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funding approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration. The goal is that patients won’t be separately charged for administration of their shots, and officials say they are working to ensure that’s the case for all Medicare recipients and uninsured people as well those covered by insurance at their jobs.— States and local communities will need to devise precise plans for receiving and locally distributing vaccines, some of which will require special handling such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have a month to submit plans.— A massive information technology effort will be needed to track who is getting which vaccines and when, and the key challenge involves getting multiple public and private databases to link with each other.Some of the broad components of the federal plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday's reports attempt to put the key details into a comprehensive framework. Distribution is under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, a White House-backed initiative to have vaccines ready to ship in 24 hours from when a version is given emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

September 16, 2020

LA County Public Health Officials Confirm 16 New COVID-19 Deaths

On Monday Public Health confirmed 16 new deaths and 1,022 new cases of COVID-19.There are 241,768 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 5,784 deaths."L.A. County has made encouraging progress in all the key indicators the past month. The percent of positive tests is a good indicator of how we are doing at slowing the spread of the virus," Public Health said in a press release.“As we approach the Labor Day weekend and as we plan for how our county will reopen schools and more businesses, we must learn from our past. Gatherings – parties, cook-outs and the other activities we usually do with non-household members on holidays can easily lead to increases in transmission, hospitalizations and deaths," Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Monday.California Gov. Newsom announced reopening guidelines - again - last week for the counties in the state and this time it's color-coded and in tiers. Newsom said there will be a uniform framework that provides four tiers, not 58 variations. Newsom said the tiers are color-coded county guidelines to get through the flu season and with COVID-19. The metrics to move through the tiers will be case rate and test positivity for county movement - "the new simple metrics that will determine movement within these tiers," Newsom said.There was also an announcement that barbershops and hair salons can reopen across the state on Monday, Aug. 31 but that can be overridden by individual counties.For example, LA County is in the purple tier which means "As of August 31, 2020, counties in the Widespread (purple) tier may open some businesses and activities with modifications, including all retail, shopping centers at maximum 25% capacity, and hair salons and barbershops indoors."However, LA County Public Health said on Friday that the health officer order has NOT been changed to allow that."While LA County can, under CA’s new #COVID19 reopening rules, allow barbershops and hair salons to resume indoor operations and malls to reopen (at 25% capacity) on Monday, @lapublichealth says the health officer order has NOT been changed to allow that to happen," KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta reported last week.On Monday LA County Public Health said "LA County is currently in Tier 1, meaning that there continues to be widespread transmission of the virus in the county."Public Health said "The current number of new cases per day per 100,000 people is 13.1, nearly double the threshold for this tier which is less than 7 new cases per day per 100,000 population. And even though L.A. County’s current test positivity rate of 5% puts us in Tier 2 (Red) for this metric, when the two metrics fall in different tiers the state places counties in the most restrictive tier; hence, L.A. County, like most counties in California, has been placed in Tier 1. Our path forward for recovery depends on us being able to reduce community transmission significantly so children and teachers can get back to their classrooms and more people can get back to their jobs with as much safety as possible. "AUGUSTOn Wednesday in LA County, among the 193 infants that were tested for COVID-19 at birth, eight tested positive for the virus and 185 tested negative, the LA County Department of Public Health announced.LA County Department of Public Health confirmed 58 new deaths and 1,642 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. There are now 235,386 positive cases and a total of 5,663 deaths."To date, 1,200 pregnant women have tested positive for the virus and 79% of these women were symptomatic. Tragically, two women who were pregnant passed away from COVID-19. "The state is monitoring all counties to determine their progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19. L.A. County must stay below 100 cases per 100,000 people 14-day case rate thresholds for three consecutive days to be removed from the state’s COVID-19 county monitoring list. On Wednesday, the 14-day case rate per 100,000 people for L.A. County is 198 cases per 100,000 residents, and we are grateful to see this number come down. We need to continuing taking all the steps we have these past weeks so that community transmission rates are low enough for us to continue our recovery journey.Earlier, this week it was reported that LA County elementary schools may soon be able to start applying for waivers to allow kids in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade to return to campus.LA County Public Health said "At this point, the school waiver process will not be reopening for applications.""Given the need to review the implications of the new state guidance on school re-opening plans, at this point, we are not ready to open up our waiver process for schools," Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday.If you're wondering which health conditions might raise your risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 LA County public health officials have just released some data on that.Earlier this month, California Gov. Newsom also addressed the state tech glitch over COVID-19 cases. The LA County Department of Public Health reports more than 5,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in LA County. On Tuesday, Public Health has confirmed 63 new deaths and 1,440 new cases of COVID-19. The number of new cases reported today is missing lab reports from one of the larger labs which is contributing to the lower number of new cases. “Today’s numbers do not include backlog numbers. The State indicated that a backlog of lab reports for L.A County from the State electronic laboratory system (ELR) should be reconciled this week,” a press release said.There are 1,524 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 32% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. Daily hospitalizations were over 2,000 patients a month ago. "L.A. County has hit a tragic milestone today — more than 5,000 of our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers have died because of COVID-19. This is heartbreaking and reminds us of the human toll of this pandemic. Our hearts go out to the many families that have lost a love one to this pandemic," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “One of the deaths we are reporting today is of a young adult under the age of 29. This is a reminder that the risk for all of us is real and that no matter how young you are, this virus can be deadly. We must continue to adopt practices that slow the spread of this virus; this allows us to prevent these untimely deaths. Please practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, wash your hands and avoid gathering with people you don’t live with."LA County Public Health has confirmed 17 new deaths and 2,039 new cases of COVID-19 in late July.Public Health anticipates receiving a backlog of cases in the coming days.Since May, the majority of cases have occurred among people between the ages of 18 and 49 years old. People between the ages of 30 and 49 year old account for the largest proportion of cases and roughly the same proportion of cases as seen since May. Other age groups are flat or decreasing slightly.Public Health is reporting 2,017 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 29% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. There are a total of 2,552 confirmed and suspect cases that are currently hospitalized and 18% of these people are on ventilators. The hospitalization data is incomplete due to data from five non-reporting hospitals not being part of today's update.Last week, LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday July 22 "COVID-19 appears to be on track to becoming one of the leading causes of death in LA County."She says it's far deadlier than the flu. Between March and June, COVID-19 killed twice as many people as the flu. Hospitalizations remain the highest they've been since the pandemic began.According to the LA County Public Health Department "From January to June of last year, coronary heart disease was the top cause of death, with nearly 6,000 deaths attributed to it. It appears that COVID-19, with over 3,400 deaths during the same time period, is on track to claim more lives in Los Angeles County than any disease except coronary heart disease —killing more people than Alzheimer’s Disease, other kinds of heart disease, stroke and COPD. For additional comparison, influenza killed 1,521 people during the 2019 flu season from October to May. "There were 64 new deaths and 3,266 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified more than 164,00 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and more than 4,200 deaths. On Tuesday July 21, the LA County Department of Public Health confirmed 50 new deaths and 2,741 new cases of COVID-19. Of the new cases reported by Public Health today (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena), 57% occurred in people under the age of 41 years old. This continues to confirm younger people are driving new infections and spread of COVID-19. There are 2,218 confirmed cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 18% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This is the third consecutive day of over 2,200 hospitalizations. To date, Public Health has identified 161,673 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 4,154 deaths. This comes as California now has the most COVID-19 cases in the nation and Gov. Newsom addressed that Wednesday.On Monday July 20, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 9 new deaths and 3,160 new cases of COVID-19. The decrease in deaths may reflect a reporting lag from over the weekend.For the second straight day, Public Health confirms the highest number of new hospitalizations reported in a day with 2,232 people currently hospitalized, surpassing yesterday's count of 2,216 hospitalizations, according to an LA County Public Health press release. Of the 2,232 confirmed COVID-19 cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 19% are confirmed cases on ventilators.Meanwhile, when it comes to contact tracing, Public Health is providing $10 million to community-based organizations, particularly in the hardest hit communities, to encourage participation with case investigation and contact tracing efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Public Health is also piloting a $20 gift card incentive program to thank individuals for participating in the hour-long contact tracing interview.Recently, Gov. Newsom revamped guidelines for hair salons and barbershops to be able to operate outside safely. Newsom previously ordered the closure of fitness centers, houses of worship, hair and nail salons, barbershops in LA County, which is one of the counties on the state monitoring list.LA County Public Health officials also announced the closure of those sectors to mimic Newsom's order: Gyms and Fitness Centers, Places of Worship, Indoor Protests, Offices for Non-Critical Infrastructure Sectors, nail salons, massage parlors, and tattoo parlors, hair salons and barbershops indoors and malls. The city of LA also ordered the closures of their gyms, hair and nail salons indoor, barbershops indoors and houses of worship.Last week, Newsom ordered the closure of indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, zoos, movie theaters for at least three weeks for certain counties, including LA County, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state. Newsom ordered the closure of bars in LA County and other counties. Meanwhile, LA County, Orange County and Riverside counties decided to close their bars.Cases are surging, the rate of infection is increasing and the hospitalizations are increasing and it is a reflection of a lot more community spread.That's what LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has continued to say when it comes to COVID-19 in LA County.“This week we’ve hit concerning milestones. We have reported the most cases in a single day, the most hospitalizations and tragically high death numbers," she said Thursday July 16.The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirmed 59 new deaths and 4,592 new cases of COVID-19. This is the largest increase in new cases, surpassing the count from July 14. Over the last 48 hours there have been 7,350 new cases. A day after record hospitalizations and new cases reported, LA County Public Health reported the highest number of new hospitalizations reported in a day with 2,193 people currently hospitalized, surpassing yesterday's number.Out of the 2,193 confirmed COVID-19 cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% are confirmed cases on ventilators. The 3-day average for people hospitalized is 2,084. This is more people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 than at any point during the pandemic. Data shows younger people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old are being hospitalized at a higher rate than seen before.On Tuesday July 14, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the highest number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations reported in a day with 4,244 new cases and 2,103 people currently hospitalized."Public Health has confirmed 73 new deaths of Covid-19. This is one of the highest number of new deaths reported in a day and may reflect a lag in the reporting of deaths over the weekend," Public Health reported in a press release. Public Health confirmed 13 new deaths and 2,593 new cases of COVID-19 Monday July 13. Los Angeles County continues to see evidence of increased community spread of COVID-19. There are 2,056 people hospitalized, 28% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 20% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago.On Friday the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported it continues to ramping up contact tracing efforts as cases of COVID-19 increase. Public Health has confirmed 51 new deaths and 2,667 new cases of COVID-19. To date, Public Health has identified 127,358 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 3,738 deaths.Currently, there are more than 1,500 contact tracers at Public Health who interview people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are residents of Los Angeles County.The daily positivity rate (a composite of a 7-day rolling average) is higher at 10%. There are 1,995 people currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago.Earlier this week, Ferrer reported 65 new deaths for a total of more than 3,600 deaths in LA County from COVID-19, and 2,496 new cases today bringing the total to 123,004 total positive cases.She said the county is at a "critical juncture" on Wednesday.With a backlog of people trying to get tested, health officials are urging only people who may have potential symptoms, or known exposure to COVID-19, or those who work and live in a high-risk facility to sign up for a test.The daily positivity rate (a composite of a 7-day rolling average) is 10.4%, a rate that Los Angeles County hasn’t seen since late-April. There are more than 2,000 people currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago.On Tuesday LA County Public Health confirms the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 reported in a day with 4,015 new cases. There were 46 new deaths pushing the total past 120,000 positive cases and a total of 3,579 deaths."The high number of cases are, in part, due to a backlog of about 2,000 test results received from one lab who just submitted lab results from July 2 through July 5 today," LA County Public Health said in an email Tuesday.There are 1,969 people currently hospitalized, 27% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 18% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This remains substantially higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen three weeks ago.LA County Public Health said in its press release that testing results are available for over 1,213,000 individuals with 9 percent of all people testing positive.""The daily positivity rate (a composite of a 7-day rolling average) has risen to 11.6%," according to LA County Public Health.Ferrer had stern warnings when it came to staying home as much as possible, limiting contact with others and wearing a face covering. Ferrer said the positivity rate has started to increase in the last month adding there is a significant increase in the 18 to 41-year-old age range. She said almost 50 percent of the new cases occur in younger people and those younger people are spreading the virus to others.She said when looking at hospitalizations over time by age group, "there has been quite a shift over the last few weeks as hospitalizations for 18 to 40-year-olds and 41 to 64-year-olds have increased and the percent of hospitalizations for the 65 and older group have now gone down."Rate of people testing positive for #COVID19 in LA County went up to 10% over past week, says Supervisor @kathrynbarger.— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) July 6, 2020 LA County Public Health Director Ferrer has also issued a warning about the coronavirus outbreak.Last week after three consecutive days of more than 2,100 daily COVID-19 cases for LA County, LA County Public Health reported there were more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the total past 105,500. Deaths have topped 3,400.There were 35 new deaths reported Wednesday.Hospitalizations up to nearly 1,900 (not including Pasadena and Long Beach - the highest number in weeks.There are 1,889 people currently hospitalized, 27% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 18% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This is the largest number of people hospitalized since early May.Last week LA County announced the closure of: Indoor, in-person dining at restaurantsIndoor museums, indoor children’s museums, and indoor operations at zoos and aquariumsCardrooms and satellite wagering facilitiesLA County and 18 other counties are on Newsom's state watch list. All 19 counties have to close down their bars too, according to Newsom's orders Wednesday.It was the third consecutive day of more than 2,100 daily COVID-19 cases for LA County on Tuesday.On Tuesday LA County saw 2,779 new COVID-19 cases. There were 45 new deaths. There are 1,783 people currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 18% are confirmed cases on ventilators. This is significantly higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen in recent weeks.LA County Public Health said in a press release that "everyone should always wear a face covering securely over your nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household when out in public. Businesses must continue to follow Public Health directives. Public Health reminds everyone that you remain safer at home."On Monday, LA County saw a record number of new daily COVID-19 cases and the number of hospitalizations.There are 22 new deaths on Monday from COVID-19 and 2,903 new cases - the largest number of cases ever reported, according to Barbara Ferrer.She also reported 1,710 people who have confirmed cases of COVID-19 and are hospitalized - also the highest number of people hospitalized in many, many weeks. Public Health announced more than 100,000 positive cases of COVID-19 in LA County, and a total of 3,326 deaths.Last week, Barbara Ferrer said "We are safer at home. Period."That's what Ferrer has said to KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta when talking about "concerning" COVID-19 trends, as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations climb up in LA County.There are 1,717 people currently hospitalized, higher than the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen in recent weeks, according to LA County Public Health on Sunday. On Sunday, Public Health has confirmed 20 new deaths and 2,542 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Fifteen people who died were over the age of 65 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirteen people had underlying health conditions including 10 people over the age of 65 years old and three people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old."We need to continue to take a very hard look at how the reopening is going," Ferrer says to Peschiutta.Earlier this month, Ferrer says the average daily rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 has been climbing in the past two weeks and is now back up to where it was two months ago. Recent inspections indicate efforts to get reopened businesses to comply with new rules to prevent the spread of the virus got off to a rocky start. She notes inspectors visited 3,751 restaurants over three weekends, starting May 30, and found 83 percent were out of compliance.Update: Confirmed #COVID19 cases in LA County topped 91,000 today. Deaths went up to nearly 3,250. @KNX1070 https://t.co/j3CdfS3Nof— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 26, 2020 "We need to continue to take a very hard look at how the reopening is going," Ferrer says. She notes inspectors visited 3,751 restaurants over three weekends, starting May 30, and found 83% were out of compliance. @KNX1070 https://t.co/jyF2XK8Yvd— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 25, 2020 "We're safer at home. Period." - @lapublichealth's Barbara Ferrer on the "concerning" #COVID19 trends. She notes cases, hospitalizations and positivity rate in LA County are going up. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 25, 2020 On Wednesday June 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 34 new deaths and 1,260 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).Twenty-eight people who died were over the age of 65 years old, four people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Ten people had underlying health conditions including nine people over the age of 65 years old and one person between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.There are now 89,490 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 3,205 deaths.With the latest #COVID19 stats announced, confirmed cases in LA County are on track to top 90k tomorrow and 100K next week. Deaths have jumped to more than 3,200. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 25, 2020 LA County Public Health officials in recent weeks have advised those who took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd and protest police brutality to self-quarantine for 14 days and get a COVID-19 test if symptoms occur.As LA County reopens in the last few weeks, there has been constant vigilance on ensuring businesses and other sectors follow the reopening safety guidelines. Just recently, public health officials visited 2,000 restaurants that were reopened in LA County over the past weekend and half of them were not in compliance. WHERE CAN YOU GET TESTED IN LA COUNTY AND CITY OF LA?On Tuesday June 23, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 34 new deaths and 2,364 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).Twenty-seven people who died were over the age of 65 years old, six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Twenty-seven people had underlying health conditions including 20 people over the age of 65 years old, six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old."It's the fourth day in a week that more than 2,000 new cases have been announced in a single day. Hospitalizations continue to climb, topping 1,500 today," according to KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta on Twitter Tuesday.More than 2,300 new #COVID19 cases announced today in LA County. It's the fourth day in a week that >2k new cases have been announced in a single day. Hospitalizations continue to climb, topping 1,500 today. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 23, 2020 On June 22, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 18 new deaths and 2,571 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).It was the third day in the past week where they were reporting over 2,000 new cases during a single day, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer adding there was an increase in community transmission.13 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 9 of the people had underlying health conditions. Four people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old and all four had underlying health conditions. One death was reported by the city of Pasadena.Over the weekend on June 21, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 11 new deaths and 1784 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).Four people who died were over the age of 65 years old and five people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old. Eight people had underlying health conditions including four people over the age of 65 years old and four people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.On June 18, Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 36 new deaths and 1,051 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).Twenty-six people who died were over the age of 65 years old, seven people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirty-one people had underlying health conditions including 25 people over the age of 65 years old and six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.On June 17, Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 34 new deaths and 2,129 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).It was the highest daily total of new cases reported in LA County on Wednesday.However, Public Health officials said about 600 cases are from a backlog of test results. Twenty-three people who died were over the age of 65 years old, seven people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and four people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Twenty-three people had underlying health conditions including 17 people over the age of 65 years old, four people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and two people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena.There are now 77,189 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,991 deaths.Confirmed, it's the highest daily total of new cases reported in LA County https://t.co/nSltoddwAk— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 17, 2020 Earlier in June, there were curfews in place for a few days in a row by both the city of LA and the county of LA but curfews came to an end.Meanwhile, in Orange County, the mandate to wear masks in public during the COVID-19 pandemic was dropped by health officials recently. Public Health officials also had an update on the nursing home testing saying in a press release that "testing of all residents and staff has been completed in all 315 skilled nursing facilities in LA County, not including Long Beach and Pasadena."That includes facilities that have had outbreaks and facilities that have not yet had outbreaks. "Of the over 30,000 tests results currently available from among both residents and staff, 6% tested positive for COVID-19 and 78% of the people testing positive were asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. Additionally, Public Health continues to see a decrease in skilled nursing facilities seven-day rolling average of daily COVID-19 deaths," the press release said Wednesday.Ferrer says nursing home resident deaths are averaging 16 or 17/day, down from 25 or 26 about a month ago. Facilities will be able to resume limited visits, if they go four weeks with no new cases. County suspended nursing home visits on April 24. @KNX1070 https://t.co/XhIrqZoi1n— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 17, 2020 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths and 1,071 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Monday June 15. 14 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 10 of those had underlying health conditions. Four people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person had underlying health conditions. One person who died was between the ages of 18 to 40 years old and this person did not have underlying health conditions. There are now 73,791 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,926 deaths.Barbara Ferrer said inspectors visited about 2,000 restaurants over the weekend and found about half not in compliance with the new rules to prevent spread of virus.>1k new #COVID19 cases announced in LA County, pushing total close to 74k. Deaths are approaching 3k. @lapublichealth's Barbara Ferrer says inspectors visited about 2k restaurants over weekend and found about half not in compliance w/new rules to prevent spread of virus. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) June 15, 2020 Marching in solidarity? Protect yourself, your family and the community by wearing a mask. #BYOM pic.twitter.com/0dErMgZJNs— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) June 14, 2020 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 61 new deaths and 1,275 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Wednesday June 10. 42 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 37 of those had underlying health conditions. 13 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and 9 had underlying health conditions. Three people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40 years old and all three had underlying health conditions. Three deaths were reported by Long Beach.There are now 67,064 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,768 deaths.This is why, even if you’ve tested negative, it is still important to self-quarantine for 14 days, and if you start to develop symptoms, contact your provider. If you are positive, you will need to isolate for an additional 10 days. pic.twitter.com/MPgoDU31la— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) June 8, 2020 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 56 new deaths and 1,225 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tuesday June 9. Thirty-eight people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 15 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Forty-four people had underlying health conditions including 33 people over the age of 65 years old, 10 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. One death was reported by the City of Long Beach.There are now 65,822 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,707 deaths.Were you protesting near people who were not wearing masks? You should:--Self-quarantine for 2 weeks--Get tested if you develop symptoms pic.twitter.com/qbJ7ptjU8Y— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) June 9, 2020 LA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 Monday June 8. Health officials confirmed there were 10 new deaths and 823 new cases of the novel virus. To date, Public Health has identified 64,644 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,655 deaths.Ferrer said she applauds all of those who have stood for justice in the last two weeks. Ferrer said the recommendation is self-quarantining for 14 days if there's been exposure. "So many are returning to jobs in what feels like a different economy and a different workplace," she said. "COVID-19 remains easy to transmit and it does continue to cause serious illness and death."Did you attend a protest recently? @lapublichealth advises to self-quarantine for 2 weeks and monitor yourself for symptoms of #COVID19 https://t.co/xc2bQVZbSi pic.twitter.com/8oodTLKBrK— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) June 9, 2020 Ferrer reminded everyone to wear a cloth covering when outside and practicing social distancing. Six people who died were over the age of 65 years old; and three of those had underlying health conditions. Three people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and two of those had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death from the city of Pasadena is available on their website, Barbara Ferrer said Monday.JUNELA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 last week.Health officials confirmed there were 44 new deaths and 1,469 new cases of the novel virus. To date, Public Health has identified 59,650 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,531 deaths.The large increase in positive cases reflects a lag in reporting from one lab of over 500 positive cases. Twenty-seven people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 15 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirty-four people had underlying health conditions including 21 people over the age of 65 years old, 12 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.“If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while out and in large crowds, because you were in close contact for at least 15 minutes with people who were not wearing face coverings, please remember that the virus has a long incubation period and it will be important to remain away from others as much as possible for 14 days,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer with LA County Public Health.LA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 Wednesday June 3. Health officials confirmed there were 46 new deaths and 1,155 new cases of the novel virus. To date, Public Health has identified 58,234 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,489 deaths.Thirty-four people who died were over the age of 65 years old; six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Twelve people were reported to have underlying health conditions including 11 people over the age of 65 years old and one person between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. Five deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.LA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 on the first day of June. Health officials confirmed there were 22 new deaths and 978 new cases of the novel virus. To date, Public Health has identified 55,968 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,384 deaths.Sixteen people who died were over the age of 65 years old and six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old. Twenty-one people had underlying health conditions including 15 people over the age of 65 years old and six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old."Public Health supports the need for LA County residents to exercise their first amendment rights. There is, however, risk that these gatherings can become super-spreader events where a great deal of transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur," a press release from LA County Public Health said Monday. "Everyone engaging in peaceful protest should always wear a face covering over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household."COVID-19 Daily Update:June 01, 2020Cases: 978 (55,968 total)Deaths: 22 (2,384 total) pic.twitter.com/yN1LoCer0r— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) June 1, 2020 MAYLA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 on Saturday, May 30th.Health officials confirmed there were 48 new deaths and 2,112 new cases of the novel virus. This is the largest number of recorded cases in one day since the start of pandemic.The high number of cases was said to be due to a backlog in processing tests.36 of the fatalities were over the age of 65 years old and 8 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old. Thirty-three people had underlying health conditions.To date, Public Health has identified 53,651 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,338 deaths.“Each day, we join with families and friends mourning the devastating loss of life to COVID-19 and we keep those who are grieving in our thoughts and prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “LA County is on our recovery journey, and as more businesses and spaces re-open, it has never been more important – as individuals, businesses and institutions – to use the tools that we all have to take care of each other and to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. This means practicing physical distancing, wearing cloth face coverings when in public, and adhering to all directives in the Health Officer order.”On Friday, there were 50 new deaths, 1,824 new cases, 43,052 total cases, 51,562 cases in L.A. County, and 2,042 deaths in LA County since the start of the pandemic.Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health addressed the recent political protests in L.A. She said protests are one of only two events allowed by the state.Thirty-three people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 13 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and four people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Forty people had underlying health conditions including 30 people over the age of 65 years old, seven people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and three people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old."We expect cloth face coverings and social distancing, and for them to be peaceful protests. Please protect each other," Ferrer said. As for when exactly restaurants will open for on-site dining in L.A. County, Ferrer says the new notice will be posted soon.There's been a lot of back and forth on when restaurants will be allowed to resume on-site dining in LA County. @lapublichealth's Barbara Ferrer says the new order will be posted shortly so...later today. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) May 29, 2020 “So many people in our community are experiencing loss and sorrow during this pandemic. We think of you every day, and we are deeply sorry for your loss,” Ferrer said. “As we enter the weekend, and are perhaps out of our homes and visiting businesses and public spaces, please remember that practicing physical distancing and wearing a cloth face covering when you are around other people are the tools we have to prevent further spread of the virus. For businesses, the implementation of directives in the protocols for reopening are the most effective strategy for protecting employees and customers. These actions are essential for slowing the spread and preventing many people from becoming seriously ill and requiring hospitalization. They are essential for saving lives.”LA County Public Health gave an update on COVID-19 May 27, Wednesday.There were 53 new deaths and 933 new cases of COVID-19 in LA County. 35 people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 30 of those had underlying health conditions. 14 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and 12 of those people had underlying health conditions. Two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. One of those people had underlying health conditions. Information on the 2 deaths from Long Beach are available on their website, according to Barbara Ferrer with LA County Public Health.There are now 48,700 cases and 2,195 deaths in LA County.She said there are 4,861 healthcare workers and first responders who have confirmed cases of COVID-19. The vast majority of cases are among skilled nursing facilities and hospitals, she said. 30 healthcare workers have lost their lives, she said.Officials gave an update for the death toll the day after Memorial Day weekend.There were 27 new deaths and 1,843 new cases of COVID-19 in LA County. "Although this is the highest number of new cases reported in a day, some of these cases are from a backlog of test results," a press release from LA County Public Health said Tuesday afternoon.Twenty people who died were over the age of 65 years old; six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Seventeen people had underlying health conditions including 11 people over the age of 65 years old and six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old.There are now 47,822 cases and 2,143 deaths in LA County.#COVID19 update: @lapublichealth announces 1,843 new cases, the highest daily total reported. Officials note the high number is due, in part, to a backlog of test results being reported. This pushes the total number of cases close to 48,000. @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) May 26, 2020 LA County Public Health officials gave an update on Memorial Day.There were 12 additional deaths and 1,047 new cases. Seven people who died were over the age of 65 years old and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Seven people over the age of 65 years old had underlying health conditions. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and two deaths by the City of Pasadena.The county's totals sit at 46,018 COVID-19 cases and 2,116 deaths.LA County Health officials announced 35 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis Friday, May 22. Another 1,072 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. The county's totals sit at 2,049 deaths and 43,052 COVID-19 cases. 25 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 20 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. Five people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and three of them had underlying health conditions. Three deaths were reported from Long Beach and two deaths from Pasadena, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer.LA County Public Health officials gave an update Thursday on COVID-19.LA County Health officials announced 46 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis Thursday, May 21. Another 1,204 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said 92 percent of the people, who have passed away from COVID-19, had underlying health conditions. The county's totals sit at 2,016 deaths and 42,037 COVID-19 cases. Ferrer said it's a very "sad milestone."28 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 20 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. 12 people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and 10 of them had underlying health conditions. Information on the 3 deaths from Long Beach and 3 deaths from Pasadena are available on their websites, according to Ferrer. LA County Public Health officials gave an update Wednesday a day after the highest one-day death toll since the COVID-19 crisis began.LA County Health officials announced 57 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis Wednesday, May 20. Another 1,324 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said 92 percent of the people, who have passed away from COVID-19, had underlying health conditions. The county's totals sit at 1,970 deaths and 40,857 COVID-19 cases. 30 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 24 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. 12 people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and six of them had underlying health conditions. Two who died were in the age range of 18 to 40 and both of the people had underlying health conditions. Information on the 10 deaths from Long Beach and three deaths from Pasadena are available on their websites, according to Ferrer. LA County Health officials announced 76 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis Tuesday May 19. Another 1,183 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. Tuesday was the highest one-day death tolls since the coronavirus crisis began.LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said 92 percent of the people, who have passed away from COVID-19, had underlying health conditions. The county's totals sit at 1,913 deaths and 39,573 new cases. 52 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 48 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. 19 people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and 14 of them had underlying health conditions. 2 who died were in the age range of 18 to 40 and both of the people had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death from Long Beach and 2 deaths from Pasadena are available on their websites, according to Ferrer. Two previous reported deaths were outside the LA County jurisdiction, Ferrer said.HEALTH CARE WORKERSLA County Health officials announced 18 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis Monday May 18. Another 477 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said the number of cases is usually lower because a number of the labs aren't open on the weekends.The county's totals sit at 1,839 deaths and 38,451 new cases. Ferrer said 92 percent of the people, who have passed away from COVID-19, had underlying health conditions.She said there could be "more infected people out and about" now that some restrictions have been lifted in the county.15 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 12 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. Three people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and all of them had underlying health conditions.Ferrer also gave an update on institutional settings."The vast majority of people who died in institutional settings did reside in skilled nursing facilities," Ferrer said.Ferrer said 164 women who were pregnant tested positive for COVID-19 and 80 percent, who were tested and positive, were symptomatic. To date, she said there have been 38 live births and 2 non-live births. 31 infants were tested at birth and all were negative, Ferrer said.Among healthcare workers, including first responders, a total of 4,298 healthcare workers and first responders have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in LA County. Cases have been identified among 26 different occupational settings including hospitals and nursing facilities. She said nurses account for the majority of the positive cases - 46 percent. 26 healthcare workers have passed away from COVID-19, 6 additional people since last week, according to Ferrer.She also wanted to update on skilled nursing facilities: as of today, 141 skilled nursing facilities have tested all their staff and resident and an additional 74 are going to be tested. Of the over 3,600 people who have been tested and have results, 402 tested positive for COVID-19. She said only 57 were symptomatic. She said 86 percent of the people who tested positive were asymptomatic or could be pre-symptomatic. "Most importantly, these results highlight the fact that there may be, in any settings, significant numbers of people who are positive for COVID-19 with no symptoms and this is particularly problematic in our institutional settings," she said..@lapublichealth's Barbara Ferrer says 4 confirmed cases of inflammatory syndrome linked to #COVID19 among kids in LA County. Twenty one suspect cases under investigation. No deaths reported. More info on MIS-C from CDC: https://t.co/y2fsozKAYk @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) May 18, 2020 On Friday, health officials announced 47 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis. Another 962 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said the total number of confirmed cases in institutionalized settings is 9,103 and this includes 5,895 residents and 3,208 who are staff. Ferrer said 892 people, who were living in institutional settings, have died from COVID-19 and this represents 51 percent of all of our deaths. The vast majority of the people, who lived in institutional settings, did reside in skilled nursing homes, according to Ferrer.She said there will be new rounds of inspections at every facility by health facility nurses, she said.She said there would be an update on that next week.The county's totals sit at 1,755 deaths and 36,259 new cases. 37 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 30 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. Five people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and two of them had underlying health conditions. Information on the five deaths being reported by the city of Long Beach is on their websites, according to Ferrer.On Thursday May 14, Los Angeles County health officials announced 51 additional deaths due to the coronavirus crisis. Another 925 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed today. LA County Public Health's Dr. Barbara Ferrer said she wants to put it in context by comparing COVID-19 with influenza, which is a much longer season. She said "last year 125 people died from influenza and the year before about 300 people died. On average we lose 250 lives to influenza every year.""You can understand why the mortality rate for COVID-19 is so worrisome because it far exceeds what we are normally used to seeing with a virus or communicable disease," Ferrer said.The county's totals sit at 1,709 deaths and 35,329 new cases. 35 people who died were over the age of 65 years old and 32 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. 12 people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old and 11 of them had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death being reported by the city of Long Beach and the three deaths by Pasadena are on their websites, according to Ferrer.On Friday, May 8, Los Angeles County officials reported 883 new cases of coronavirus and 51 new deaths. Information on the two deaths reported by Pasadena is available on their website, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer.This brings the total number to 30,296 positive cases and 1,468 deaths in LA County. 39 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, of those 36 had underlying health conditions.8 people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and 6 of those had underlying health conditions.Two of the people who passed away ere between the age of 18 and 40 and one person had underlying health conditions. NEW CDC GUIDELINES FOR SELF ISOLATIONOn Friday May 1, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 62 new deaths and 1,065 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).46 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, of those 39 had underlying health conditions.7 people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and all of those had underlying health conditions.One person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old and did not have underlying health conditions.This week the CDC updated their guidance on how long people are positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate and the new guidance directs people, who are positive for COVID-19, to self isolate for 10 days and 72 hours after fever and symptoms subside."There's new evidence that suggests the virus may shed for a longer period of time which means that a person may be able to infect other people for a longer period of time than was initially thought when we had the guidance that people needed to isolate for 7 days plus 72 hours after fever and symptoms subsided," Ferrer said.She said as a reminder if you test positive for COVID-19 you do need to self isolate immediately and away from all people as much as possible.Ferrer said there are 106 pregnant women who have tested positive for COVID-19. 27 of the women who tested positive for COVID-19 completed their pregnancies and resulted in 26 live births, she said.“Our hearts go out to the family that did lost a baby from their pregnancy,” Ferrer said.She said the 22 infants who were tested at birth were all negative for COVID-19."We don't have signs that pregnant women are transmitting the infection to their newborns at this point in time in LA County," Ferrer said.NURSING HOMES AND TESTING IN LA COUNTYOn Monday, the death toll from the virus stood at 942 deaths with 20,417 total positive cases in LA County.Dr. Barbara Ferrer said there are 29 new deaths and 900 new cases Monday.25 people who died were over the age of 65 and 18 of the people who died had underlying health conditions. Three were between the ages of 41 and 65. One of the people who were between the ages of 41 and 65 had underlying health conditions.Ferrer said when looking at data by community poverty levels, she said people living in areas with high rates of poverty had three times the rate of deaths for COVID-19, 16.9 percent per 100,000 people when compared with people living in communities with very low poverty levels where death rates was 5.5 percent per 100,000 people."This data is deeply disturbing, and it speaks to the need for immediate action in communities with disproportionately high rates of deaths," Ferrer said adding this would mean increased testing, better access to healthcare and more accurate and culturally appropriate information about the virus.Ferrer said the department is investigating 312 institutionalized settings with at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 including investigations at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, shelters, treatment centers, supportive living and correctional facilities."I am sad to report that there are 423 residents who lived in institutionalized settings that died from COVID-19 and this now represents 45 percent of all of our deaths here in LA County," Ferrer said. She said the majority of the residents did live in the skilled nursing facilities.As of Monday, LA County will now require increased testing for all residents and staff working at nursing homes in LA County, with and without symptoms, similar to what the city of LA said it would do.Over the weekend, the death toll from the virus stood at 913 deaths with 19,528 total positive cases in LA County.#COVID19 update: @lapublichealth's Barbara Ferrer says death rate 3x higher among LA County residents living in poverty, calls it "deeply disturbing." @KNX1070— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) April 27, 2020 COVID-19 IS LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN LA COUNTY:In late April, LA Public Health announced COVID-19 had become the leading cause of death in LA County.Dr. Barbara Ferrer reported an additional 52 deaths Friday. She reported 1,035 new cases today. 43 people who died were over the age of 65, and 34 of the people who were over the age of 65 had underlying health conditions.7 people who died who were between the ages of 41 and 65 and all of these people also had underlying health conditions. There was one person under between the ages of 18 and 40 who also had underlying health conditions. Ferrer said there were 68 additional deaths Thursday.On Thursday, she said coronavirus is the leading cause of death - more than heart disease or emphysema. KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta reports that Ferrer says an average of 44 people per day are dying from COVID-19 since April 12. For comparison, she notes 31 people per day die from coronary heart disease and 5 people/day die from flu (during flu season) in LA County.Ferrer says an average of 44 people/day are dying from COVID-19 (since April 12). For comparison, she notes 31 people/day die from coronary heart disease and 5 people/day die from flu (during flu season) in LA County. @KNX1070 https://t.co/SYtmaZknRZ— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) April 23, 2020 APRIL FIGURESApril saw high, one day totals when it comes to the number of deaths from COVID-19 in LA County.On Thursday Ferrer, the LA County Health Department Director, said there were 399 new cases of COVID-19. In the last 48 hours, there were 871 new cases.Ferrer said there were 55 additional deaths Thursday adding it was the highest daily total after reporting high totals on Wednesday and Tuesday.43 people who died were over the age of 65, and 39 of the people who were over the age of 65 had underlying health conditions. Nine of the people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. All of these people had underlying health conditions.There are now 10,854 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 455 deaths. She said the LA County mortality rate is 4.2 percent.She also confirmed 33 cases of homeless individuals.Ferrer, the LA County Health Department Director, said there were 472 new cases of COVID-19. In the last 48 hours, there were 1,142 new cases.Ferrer said there were 42 additional deaths Wednesday adding it was the highest number of deaths for any single day that week so far.24 people who died were over the age of 65, and 13 of the people who were over the age of 65 had underlying health conditions. Eleven of the people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. Seven of the people, who were between 41 and 65 of age, had underlying health conditions.One person who died was between the age of 18 and 40 and also had underlying health conditions, she said.There are now 10,496 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 402 deaths. She said the LA County mortality rate is 3.8 percent.She also confirmed 28 cases among homeless individuals, six of whom were sheltered and are isolated.In April, week Ferrer said there were 40 additional deaths Tuesday adding it was the highest number of deaths she had to report in any single day since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Twenty-five people who died were over the age of 65 and 17 of the people who were over the age of 65 had underlying health conditions. Nine of the people were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. Five of the people who were between 41 and 65 of age had underlying health conditions.

August 31, 2020

This Is the Likely Order COVID-19 Symptoms Will Appear: Study

With coronavirus continuing to spread around the nation, identifying symptoms of the illness is crucial for early detection and treatment.Now researchers have uncovered the order that COVID-19 symptoms are most likely to show up in an infected individual.According to scientists at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, a person with the novel virus will usually first experience fever, then cough and muscle pain, followed by nausea, and/or vomiting, and diarrhea, reported CBS News."This order is especially important to know when we have overlapping cycles of illnesses like the flu that coincide with infections of COVID-19,'' Peter Kuhn, a USC professor of medicine, biomedical engineering, and aerospace and mechanical engineering told ABC News."Doctors can determine what steps to take to care for the patient, and they may prevent the patient's condition from worsening.''The study, published in the medical journal Frontier Public Health, analyzed data from 55,000 positive cases of the virus in China over a nine-day period in February. The researchers also looked at medical records from another 1,100 cases collected in December and January.For comparison, the study also examined 2,470 influenza cases in North America, Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, which were collected between 1994 to 1998.While not everyone experiences all coronavirus symptoms (or any at all), medical experts stressed the importance of knowing the order.“Besides the things that we all talk about like loss of smell and loss of taste, again — fever, cough, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and then diarrhea are very good indicators of the fact that you may have COVID-19." Dr. Bob Lahita told CBS.As we head into flu season, the CDC is also recommending everyone get the flu vaccine this year as a preventative measure amid the pandemic.As of Saturday, the United States has seen more than 5.3 million cases of COVID-19, with at least 168,761 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

August 15, 2020

Is It Safe to Crank the AC in a Pandemic?

The coming heat wave means some folks are preparing to fire up their air conditioning. But experts say there are a few things to look for in order to keep your indoor air safe during the pandemic.First, check to see if your AC unit has an external air intake. If not, you may just be spreading contaminated air through your home or work space.“That raises a big red flag,” said Dr. Richard Corsi, indoor air quality expert at Portland State University and a recent guest on KCBS Radio's “Ask an Expert.”Bringing outdoor air inside helps to significantly dilute any virus particles that may be in the air, and it almost always helps to open windows and doors to the outside in order to improve ventilation, as long as they are spaced apart from any vents.“There’s a possibility you can get short circuiting, so the fresh air you’re bringing in just goes out the window. You don’t want that,” he explained.HEPA air purifiers that are rated MERV 13 or higher can also help to trap any virus particles in the air.LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App Follow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

August 13, 2020

When Will Disneyland Reopen? California Theme Parks in Coronavirus-Induced Limbo

Many Disney theme parks have already looked towards reopening measures since being shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. One exception is Disneyland, and many are wondering when the park will open its doors again. While California leads the nation in coronavirus cases, topping 550,000 as of Sunday, state officials aren't prepared to allow the theme parks to reopen anytime soon. While the parks were tentatively prepared to open back up on July 17, that date was put on hold as coronavirus cases continued to climb, USA Today reports. "Theme parks are not permitted to open in California at this time, under current public health orders," spokeswoman Kate Folmar of California Health and Human Services says. "We will continue to review health data to determine when and how theme parks may consider reopening at lower risk to staff and visitors." Disneyland is anticipating the green light from state officials, which they have not yet received. Disney has also delayed the reopening of some hotels and resorts. Meanwhile, Disney World in Florida has reopened its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks as of July 11, while Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios followed suit on July 15. The parks have adhered to strict guidelines in an effort to keep patrons safe, including mandatory mask wearing, social distancing measures, and limited park capacity. Disney World has also lessened their hours of operation, following data showing that less visitors were entering the park on any given day. LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App Follow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

August 11, 2020

California County Offers to Pay COVID-Positive Residents to Stay Home

If you’re sick with COVID-19, you could soon be getting a check in the mail.Alameda County in northern California will pay $1,250 dollars to people diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-isolate if they’re not receiving unemployment benefits or paid sick leave. The county's Board of Supervisors approved the pilot program Tuesday as a way to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and help hourly workers who can’t afford the loss in wages."There’s kind of some necessary components to being able to stay at home," Supervisor Wilma Chan told KCBS Radio. "One of them is having some money. People are living paycheck to paycheck."To qualify, people must get a referral from one of five community clinics that are located in hard-hit areas such as East Oakland and Hayward.The program is expected to cover up to 7,500 people."The challenge for the pandemic may be long-term," Supervisor Keith Carson said. "There is clearly not a cure now. We don’t have a vaccine. We’re not sure if there’s going to be additional federal and state dollars that are going to be available to help us."It’s not yet been determined when the program will get underway. The stipend's total was determined based on two-weeks pay at minimum wage in Alameda County.Supervisors are aiming not to exceed $10 million in costs.LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App Follow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

August 06, 2020

Can COVID-19 Impact Your Health Long-Term?

Treatments for COVID-19 continue to advance and increase patient’s chances of survival. But what is less known is the long-term effects that patients may experience even after they recover from the illness. "That’s a relatively new recognition, that recovery from COVID may not be a rapid return to one’s previous state of health," said Dr. Lory Wiviott, Chair of Medicine and a practicing infectious disease doctor in San Francisco. Dr. Wiviott said on KCBS Radio’s "Ask An Expert" early Wednesday. "I would still be optimistic that many individuals will return to their previous state of health, but it may not be in weeks or even a few months, it may take longer," he said. Because the coronavirus only emerged in the U.S. this year, it is still too early to know whether patients who survive will still be impacted years down the line. However, Dr. Wiviott said there are three areas of concern. The first is ongoing fatigue well after the virus has passed from someone’s system. Many patients who get sick have reported that they still feel fatigued months after other symptoms such as fever have passed, and they have trouble returning to regular activities or exercise routines. Damage to the lungs is another concern with any respiratory illness. Dr. Wiviott explained it is common for people to experience temporary and, in rare cases, permanent loss of lung function after a pneumonia such as COVID-19. It is still unclear whether the virus can have other long-term impacts. "There are myriad other organ systems involved by COVID," said Dr. Wiviott, who believes it is possible patients could experience long-term cognitive or cardiac damage. The virus has been observed to cause mild carditis or inflammation, which can also impact a patient’s ability to be active and get exercise. "We don’t have the complete arc of this because of the relative newness," he said, reiterating that even as treatments improve the health impact of COVID-19 can be very serious. LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App Follow RADIO.COMFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

August 05, 2020

California Officially Surpasses New York in COVID-19 Cases

California is now the state with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation, surpassing New York. California’s confirmed coronavirus cases have topped 409,000, with data from John's Hopkins University showing Wednesday that the state now has about 1,200 more cases than New York.However, New York's 72,302 deaths are by far the highest total in the country and nine times more than California's tally, and its rate of confirmed infections of about 2,100 per 100,000 people is twice California's rate.California is by far the most populous U.S. state, at nearly 40 million people, while New York has about 19.5 million."It's not unexpected you know we are doing all we can to make sure we control the rate of spread," Dr. Mark Ghaly said. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's health secretary, points out California is the most populous state. More than 400,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in California."You know I don't myself overread into the significance of that number. I look at it every day as an opportunity to do more and do better with our response to COVID-19 and at the end, I really expect and hope that California is going to be the state that adapted the most, learned the most, prepared the best," Ghaly said. There have been far fewer COVID-19 related deaths in California than New York. Ghaly acknowledges a lot of people saw the state's reopening as a "green light" to go back to life as usual. "We acknowledge clearly that unfortunately our reopening has been treated as a green light for many to resume normal life," Ghaly said. He is still betting Californians will wear face coverings and take other steps to slow the spread of the virus. "To get to a place where we can not just reopen certain sectors that have been closed again but to avoid reclosure in the future. That said, we will always have that finger on the dimmer switch. We are not afraid to use it. We are bold in understanding the science and data to try to guide us through this," Ghaly said. Just this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom allowed hair salons and barbershops to operate outdoors after calling for their closures. Newsom had ordered the closure of fitness centers, houses of worship, hair and nail salons, barbershops in certain counties on the state monitoring list last week, which includes LA County. Newsom also closed the following statewide - indoor operations at dine-in restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, and bars including outdoors. He also ordered the closure of schools for in-person classes for those Calfornia counties that are on the state monitoring list. Newsom said schools can physically reopen when its county has been off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. Schools that don't meet this requirement must begin the year with distance learning, according to Newsom. Newsom ordered the closure of indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, zoos, movie theaters for at least three weeks for certain counties, including LA County, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state. Newsom has already ordered the closure of bars in LA County and other counties. Meanwhile, LA County, Orange County and Riverside counties decided to close their bars. The city of LA also ordered the closures of their gyms, hair and nail salons, barbershops and houses of worship.Ghaly says it'll take weeks, maybe even more than a month, to "feel the full impact" of the recent closures. Associated Press contributed to this story.

July 22, 2020

Roseville, CA Woman Pees on Floor of Verizon Store After Refusing to Leave for Not Wearing a Mask

A woman entered a Verizon cell phone store in Roseville, California, and refused to wear a mask.Not only did she refuse to put on a mask, which is a store-wide policy, but the woman also proceeded to drop her pants, and urinate right in the middle of the store. The dispatch operator could be heard in the 911 call telling a police officer, "They’re calling back and advising that that female is pulling down her pants and is now urinating inside the business."The woman was eventually arrested after officers arrived at the scene and discovered several items stolen from Dick's Sporting Goods in her vehicle. Verizon spokesperson Heidi Flato says the company is requiring all customers to wear masks in their stores, and that the incident wasn’t just about the company’s mask policy, but would not comment further about what happened.Via CBS Sacramento

July 20, 2020

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