By City News Service
US-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County reported 240 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths Sunday, though health officials said the number of cases and deaths reported likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend.
Sunday s figures brought the county s totals to 1,237,411 cases and 24,094 fatalities since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
According to state figures, there were 322 people hospitalized in the county due to COVID-19 as of Sunday, down from 325 the day before. Of those patients, 68 were in intensive care, down from 73.
More than 6,643,000 test results have been reported, with 17% of people testing positive. The daily positivity rate over a seven-day average was 0.4% as of Sunday, the department said.
Los Angeles County reports 306 new coronavirus cases, 5 deaths on Saturday
Christiana Neri, 38, left, holds her 13-year-old son Ivan Hernandez’s hand as he receives a COVID-19 vaccine from Sequoia Hutton at a mobile vaccine clinic for those age 12 and over at Roosevelt Park on Friday.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
May 15, 2021 5:56 PM PT
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Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday reported 306 new coronavirus cases and five related deaths, and reminded residents that anyone 12 and older can now get vaccinated without an appointment at county-run sites.
As indoor activities increase across the Southland, L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer encouraged residents to continue wearing masks inside businesses and at crowded venues.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s sweeping relaxations for mask requirements came as a surprise to many businesses included.
The public health agency announced Thursday that anyone who is fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks and social distancing in most indoor settings. California says otherwise and will keep in effect for now strict mask rules at stores and places of employment in the state.
This discrepancy is forcing businesses into a tough-yet-familiar situation in which they’ll have to enforce contentious rules for customers receiving mixed messaging from different governmental entities.
Many business owners and workers expect awkward interactions that could alienate customers and put employees at risk. Some customers might not pick up on the difference between the tighter state restrictions and the looser national guidelines.
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In Los Angeles County, mask mandates remain in place for everyone working at or patronizing businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants or retail shops. (Peggy Bayard/Patch)
LOS ANGELES, CA Breaking ranks with her county s public health agency, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Friday called on the governor to immediately relax COVID-19 mask-wearing requirements to align with eased guidelines announced by federal authorities for fully vaccinated people. Los Angeles County has made tremendous progress vaccinating residents, including those in our hard-hit communities, Barger said in a statement. Furthermore, our positivity rate is less than 1% and our case rate remains low. While we still want to keep our communities safe, I am encouraged by the new guidance from the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and believe that the state and Los Angeles County should immediately align with the new federal recommendations.