L.A. Trails, Trailheads, Parks and Golf Courses to Reopen Starting May 8

COVID-19 update (5/06/20):

Dr. Ferrer reports 851 new cases and 55 deaths.
Total confirmed cases in LA County= 28,644; total deaths=1,367

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made L.A. the first major U.S. city to offer free coronavirus testing to all residents, even those who are symptom free. Watch full press conference above.

Any L.A. County resident can get tested at the city of L.A. testing sites. To find out how go here.

COVID-19 update (5/01/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 1,065 new cases and 62 new deaths.
Total confirmed cases in LA County= 24,215
Total deaths= 1,172

COVID-19 update (4/30/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 733 new cases and 55 deaths.
Total confirmed cases in LA County= 23,182
Total deaths= 1,111

COVID-19 Update (4/29/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 1,541 new cases and 56 deaths.
Total confirmed cases in LA County= 22,485
Total deaths= 1,056

COVID-19 Update (4/30/20):

State and local officials said there are plans to ease stay-at-home orders. "The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday to establish an action plan to work with local businesses, labor partners and community leaders to lift restrictions," reports the L.A. Times.

Eater LA reports on "a broad plan to reopen the state’s economy, including the limited reintroduction of in-room dining for restaurants and other openings for non-essential businesses like manufacturing, childcare facilities, retail, and even gyms and hair salons."

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 597 new cases and 59 deaths.
Total confirmed cases in LA County= 20,976
Total deaths= 1,000

COVID-19 Update (4/27/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 900 new cases and 29 deaths.

Total confirmed cases in LA County= 20,417
Total deaths= 942

COVID-19 Update (4/23/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 1,081 new cases and 68 deaths.

Total confirmed cases in LA County= 17,508

Total deaths= 797

COVID-19 Update (4/22/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 1,318 new cases and 66 new deaths.

Total confirmed cases in LA County= 16,435
Total deaths= 729

COVID-19 Update (4/21/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 1,400 new cases and 46 deaths, but perhaps more startling than that number is Barbara Ferrer's announcement at the 12-minute mark that starting "later this week," the County's website will now start listing restaurants that have had outbreaks of COVID-19 among their employees.

No other details were given for now.

Total confirmed cases in LA County= 15,140
Total deaths= 663

COVID-19 Update (4/20/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health received a backlog of test results over the weekend representing a large increase in positive test cases.  The county and USC also reported the results of serology study that attempts to find the likelihood that many more people have had COVID-19 than have been tested.

Total cases in LA County= 13,816
Total deaths= 617

Dr. Barbara Ferrer:  "Over the weekend we received a large backlog of test results from one lab. These were results that were conducted for tests between the April 7 and April 14. This is a tremendous lag in data reporting to the Department of Public Health, and we're working hard to make sure that we don't have backlogs moving forward.

"But as a result of this we're reporting an additional 1491 positive cases today. Though this does not represent the number of new cases in a single day.  [A total of] 1198 of these positive cases are from the backlog and the additional 293 are from our daily reported cases.

"There are now a total of 13,816 cases in L.A. County. These cases include 457 cases that were reported by our partners in the city of Long Beach and 215 cases reported by the city of Pasadena, both which have independent city health departments.

"We are also reporting 47 confirmed cases among people experiencing homelessness. For majority of the people experiencing homelessness who tested positive for COVID-19 are amongst those that are unsheltered. There are 12 people experiencing homelessness, who were sheltered, and now they're appropriately isolated and their close contacts are quarantined, we are conducting today investigations at eight different shelters and identifying staff and guests that need testing isolation and quarantine."

REMARKS ON ANTIBODY STUDY

Dr. Barbara Ferrer: "In this neurology study, we tested 863 L.A. County, adults between April 10 and April 14 using serology testing. This is the testing that shows whether a person has ever been positive for COVID-19 and developed antibodies to the virus. This gives us a better understanding of how much the pot how much of our population has at some point in time been positive been infected with the COVID-19, regardless of whether they were ever tested, or they even ever had any symptoms.

"The study estimates a prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in L.A. County, to be 4.1% with a range that could be as low as 2.8%, and as high as 5.6%. When you factor in the reliability of the tests that we were using to measure the antibodies. This translates to an estimated tooth out to 221,000 adults at the low end to 442,000, adults at the high end, who may have been infected, at some point with COVID-19.

"So although I report every day that we have thousands and thousands of people that have tested positive. The serology testing lets us know that we have hundreds of thousands of people that have already developed antibodies to the virus, because at some point in time over the last couple of months, they have in fact been infected with COVID-19.

"This means that given the high rate of people that may have been infected at some point, or COVID-19, we need to assume that at any point in time, we could be infected and that all of the other people we come in contact with could also be infected. And that means keeping our distance, using our cloth face coverings where we're in close contact with people and staying home, if you're sick so that you don't expose anybody else to any of your germs."

Dr. Neeraj Sood: "What we get is that the number of true infections, based on the study is 40 times larger than the number of confirmed cases. So this highlights the importance of using serology testing to continue to monitor this disease serology testing can provide an important information on the true extent of the infection in our communities.

"The implications of these findings are twofold. One, it says that mortality rates estimated based on confirmed cases are going to be much higher than mortality rates estimated based on the number of infections or the estimated number of infections. The good news is that the fatality rate is lower than what we thought it would be.

"But the fatality rate is not the only number we should focus on that is not the only number that determines the burden of disease. What the findings show is that only 4% of our population has been infected, which means we are very early in the in the epidemic, and many more people in L.A. County could potentially be infected.

"And as those number of infections rise so will the number of deaths, the number of hospitalizations, and the number of ICU admissions.

"So the study says we need to continue monitoring this epidemic through serology testing and other means. We need to take the data we are getting an update and recalibrate our models of what would happen in the future as more people get infected. And then ultimately use this better models, the more accurate data to guide public policy decisions about how to combat this epidemic."

COVID-19 Update (4/17/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 567 new cases and 40 deaths.  The mortality rate is at 4.2%.
Total cases in L.A. County= 11,391
Total deaths= 495

COVID-19 Update (4/16/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 399 new cases and 55 deaths. For the third day in a row, that death total is the highest single-day-total to date.
Total cases in L.A. County= 10,854
Total deaths= 455

Dr. Barbara Ferrer: "I'm really sad to report 55 additional deaths today. This is the highest daily total we've reported. After reporting high totals both yesterday and the day before. And it really reflects the devastating power of COVID-19. Forty three of the people who passed away were over the age of 65 and 39 of the people who were over the age of 65, who died had underlying health conditions, nine people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 and all of these people had underlying health conditions.

"This brings the total number of deaths, to 455 in L.A. County, and our mortality rate is now for COVID-19 is now 4.2% [and] 88% of people who have died from COVID-19 have had underlying health conditions underscoring the need for all of us to work together so that we make it possible for those who have underlying health issues to remain safe in their homes.

"For the 390 deaths where race and ethnicity has been identified, 16% are African American, 17% are Asian, 33% are Latinx, 31% are white, and 3% identified with another race or ethnicity. We are working with our community partners to respond to the disproportionate number of deaths among African Americans."

Mayor Garcetti: Large Public Gatherings in 2020 Unlikely

Via CNN: "Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday it 'would be very difficult to see' large gatherings like sporting events or concerts resuming in the city before 2021 as the U.S. grapples with mitigating the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"'It's difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year,' Garcetti told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room."

COVID-19 Update (4/15/20):

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 472 new cases and 42 deaths. For the second day in a row, that death total is the highest single-day-total to date.
Total cases in L.A. County= 10,519
Total deaths= 402

Dr. Barbara Ferrer: "The sad news  [is] that we're reporting an additional 42 deaths. Today, again, this will now be the highest number of deaths we've reported it for any single day. Twenty four people who passed away were over the age of 65 and 13 of the folks who were over the age of 65, who passed away had underlying health conditions. Eleven people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65, and seven people between the ages of 41 and 65 had underlying health conditions.

"There was one person who died who was between the ages of 18 and 40, and this person also had underlying health conditions. This is a reminder that while mortality rates are higher for people who are older and people who don't, who have underlying health conditions. People of all ages can in fact pass away from COVID-19."

Supervisor Hilda Solis: "Yesterday morning, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to expand the kind of protections provided in the county's eviction moratorium. This was a momentous action that will ensure the health and safety of thousands of families across the county, who are facing great economic challenges, and many as you know are on the brink of homelessness.

"The changes to the eviction moratorium include the following expansion of protections beyond unincorporated areas to all cities in the county, except those cities that have their own eviction moratorium. [The] extension of the repayment period for past due rent [is] from six months to 12 months.

"These changes will be retroactively effective March 4th of this year."

TESTING NOW FOR ANYONE WITH SYMPTOMS

New drive up COVID-19 testing sites are opening in L.A. County. Testing is available to all LA County residents with symptoms.

To learn more: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/

To register and see if you are eligible for a test:
https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs

COVID-19 Update (4/14/20):
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports 670 new cases and 40 deaths. The death total is the highest single day total to date.
Total cases in LA County= 10,047
Total deaths= 360