Hospitalizations have almost doubled in Los Angeles County in the past two weeks due to the more aggressive Delta variant, according to L.A. County Public Health Office.
Low vaccination rates in some communities and intermingling without masks were also named as some of the driving forces for the spike in hospitalizations, the County said on Monday, July 26.
On Monday, July 12, 372 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19—that number has risen to 745 people as of today.
According to the public health office, almost everyone hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County is unvaccinated.
Currently, there are 22 Long Beach residents hospitalized due to COVID-19. It is unclear whether those people were vaccinated.
Unvaccinated populations can include people who don’t have access to the vaccine such as children not yet eligible, people with disabilities and people from underserved communities.
Recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation notes that less than half of Black and non-Black Hispanic people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine across the nation, in states reporting data.
“These lower vaccination rates among Black and Hispanic people leave them at increased risk for coronavirus, particularly as the Delta variant spreads, potentially leading to widening disparities going forward and limiting the nation’s recovery,” the Kaiser report said.
The Kaiser report noted that the data highlights the importance of prioritizing equity and addressing gaps in vaccination geographically and across racial and ethnic groups.
The County said that post-vaccination infections and hospitalizations are possible, but those individuals tend to experience less severe illness due to the vaccine being “highly protective.”
COVID cases by the numbers
As of today, L.A. County reported four new deaths and 1,966 new cases of COVID-19 although the number of cases may reflect reporting delays over the weekend.
To date, L.A. County has identified a total of 1,285,771 positive cases of COVID-19 across the county and a total of 24,631 deaths. The daily positivity rate today stands at 5.2%.
“Our hearts go out to all of our county residents who are mourning the loss of a family member or friend,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County director of Public Health. “As we continue to experience significant community transmission fueled by the Delta variant, every effort to reduce spread is important.
In Long Beach, there have been 55,244 positive cases of COVID-19 identified to date and 951 total deaths.
A total of 273,725 people have received the vaccine in Long Beach.
Those wishing to get vaccinated can visit www.vaccinatelacounty.com (English), www.vacunatelosangeles.com (Spanish) or call 1-833-540-0473 for help. A schedule of vaccine clinics in the City of Long Beach can be found here.
