There s growing confidence that the worst of COVID-19 is behind California
Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times
May 11, 2021
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Jeymy Mendoza, 16, hugs her mother, Maria Jimenez, 34, as they wait in line in April to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination at a walk-up mobile clinic in Los Angeles.Al Seib/TNS
California’s battle against coronavirus has progressed so rapidly in the last few months that many experts are optimistic the state has experienced the worst of the pandemic and that another disastrous wave is unlikely as vaccinations increase and case rates keep plunging.
If those forecasts hold fast, California will enter the summer in a better place than many thought. State officials hope to have the economy largely reopened by June 15. And while coronavirus variants caused concerns earlier this year, officials and experts say they have generally been less aggressive than feared and vaccines seem to be offering protection against the various variants.
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California’s battle against coronavirus has progressed so rapidly in the last few months that many experts are optimistic that the state has experienced the worst of the pandemic and that another disastrous wave is unlikely as vaccinations increase and case rates keep plunging.
If those forecasts hold fast, California will enter the summer in a better place than many thought. State officials hope to have the economy largely reopened by June 15. And while coronavirus variants caused concerns earlier this year, officials and experts say they have generally been less aggressive than feared and vaccines seem to be offering protection against the variants.
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Los Angeles County could reach herd immunity from the coronavirus among adults and the oldest teenagers by mid- to late July, another milestone that underscores the region’s rapid recovery from the pandemic.
Herd immunity, sometimes referred to as community immunity, occurs when enough people have been inoculated or have obtained natural immunity to protect the larger population against the virus.
Experts had previously expressed concern that waning demand for the COVID-19 vaccines and uneven vaccination rates could make it hard to reach that goal.
With about 400,000 shots administered weekly, the county has about 2 million first doses to go before 80% of all residents 16 and older will have received at least one shot, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a news briefing Monday.
On Friday, Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed 16 new deaths and 421 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, with 27,766 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Of the 16 new deaths reported today, six people that passed away were over the age of 80, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, and four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64.
“To the friends and families who are grieving the loss of a loved one, we send our deepest condolences and wish you healing,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.
To date, Public Health identified 1,235,118 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,980 deaths.
Updated 5 hours ago
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Despite a recent sharp decline in demand for COVID-19 vaccines, Los Angeles County plans to continue operating its large-scale vaccination sites while also stepping up outreach efforts in communities where the inoculations have lagged, the county s public health director said Thursday.
Health officials in Orange County announced Thursday that they will be closing mass-vaccination facilities due to dropping demand. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get the latest breaking news and local stories.
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that while LA sites will remain open, they have been slightly downsized to “occupy a smaller footprint.” She said the county does not want to prematurely close the large-scale sites without ensuring the communities in which they re located will still have easy access to vaccinations.