'Skip Shopping' This Week As Coronavirus Death Rate Climbs In LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — The mortality rate from the coronavirus is climbing in Los Angeles as the county braces for another spike in outbreaks, health officials announced Monday. This is the week to skip all outings, LA County public health experts warned.

COVID-19 deaths in Los Angeles neared the 150 mark Monday with the deaths of 15 more people confirmed in the last 24 hours. With 420 new cases identified in that time period, the mortality rate in Los Angeles now stands at 2.3 percent, according to Barbara Ferrer, director of the public health department. So far, 147 people have in Los Angeles County have died from the disease. Los Angeles has confirmed 6,360 cases of the new coronavirus. The spike comes as California's total number of cases topped 15,000, and the nation's surgeon general warned that the worst days of the outbreak are almost upon us.

"If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week to skip shopping altogether," said Ferrer. "If you can arrange for pharmacies and medications and groceries to be delivered, this would be the week to put that in place."

Ferrer particularly stressed the need for people aged 65 or older and people with underlying health conditions to remain at home. She noted that 83% of the people who have died from the virus in L.A. County had underlying health conditions, and 76% of those who died were older than 65.
"It's very important to us that if you're elderly or you have an underlying health condition that you stay home, except to go to medical appointments," Ferrer said. "When you're out and about, even for essential services, you're putting yourself at risk for becoming infected with COVID-19 and becoming seriously ill. This is especially true as more and more people in L.A. County are infected and capable of infecting others.

"Please take advantage as much as possible of delivery services for groceries, medication and other essential items. We want to encourage grocery stores and pharmacies to offer free delivery services wherever possible to those at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19."

In a break from the competition for medical resources harming the hardest hit states, California's Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he would lend 500 ventilators to New York, which is further along in its outbreak. It won't be long before California will take its turn needing help from other states.

"Each death represents a person, not just a number, and I am so sorry for every family member and loved one lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferrer, said Sunday after reporting 28 new deaths, LA's worst toll in a single day so far. "We have some very difficult days ahead and now is the time for all of us to redouble our physical distancing efforts and look after our neighbors, friends, and families who may be at the highest risk for serious illness from COVID-19."

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Nationwide, the death toll has reached more than 10,000, and California is beginning to see a notable spike in hospitalizations, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles received 170 ventilators from the federal government to help coronavirus patients, but arrived broken and were immediately sent to a private company for repairs, Newsom said.

State officials are also working to provide relief in the form of subsidized child care to essential workers such as police officers and grocery workers still showing up to work each day despite the risks posed by the pandemic.

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Emergency responders are among the essential workers being hardest hit by the coronavirus. As of Friday, 43 Los Angeles Police Department employees had tested positive for COVID-19 and 13 members of the Los Angeles Fire Department had tested positive, said Jessica Kellogg of the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center.

"One LAPD employee has recovered and returned to full duty, two individuals are hospitalized, and all other individuals are self-isolating at home and recovering," Kellogg said. "Two LAFD employees have recovered and returned to duty, with one member who is currently hospitalized and being treated. The remaining 10 employees are recovering at home."

The spike in county numbers comes one day after Ferrer warned residents to brace for more staggering numerical increases in coming weeks as testing capacity improves.

The number of cases across Los Angeles County grew by roughly 500 per day last week. But Ferrer said that as more testing comes online, the number of confirmed cases will likely jump to 1,000 daily by this week -- given that roughly 10% of people who are tested turn out to be positive, and the county expects to soon have capacity to test 10,000 people a day.

The ability of the virus to spread even before patients develop symptoms has led to increasing recommendations that residents wear some type of non-surgical mask or face covering when they go out in public.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC's recommendations for using a facemask.
  • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
  • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.