January 21, 2021
By Brian W. Carter
Contributing Writer
“As we honor the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, we are reminded that, together, we can make change for the better,” stated Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of Public Health during the MLK holiday.
This week, more vaccination sites opened to help reach L.A. County’s goal of having 500,000 healthcare workers vaccinated by the end of the month. The sites include The Forum in Inglewood, The Pomona Fairplex, Cal State Northridge, L.A. County Office of Education in Downey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.
These sites join Disneyland and Dodger Stadium, which recently converted to vaccination sites. L.A. County officials have stated that up to 4,000 people will be vaccinated a day at each location with 12,000 at Dodger Stadium.
As of Monday, January 18, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 88 new deaths and 9,927 new cases of COVID-19. There were 7,328 people with COVID-19 hospitalized with 23% of these people in the ICU.
Public Health identified 1,024,190 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 13,936 deaths. Across the Southland: within Los Angeles County shows 971,403 cases, within Long Beach with 43,555 cases and within Pasadena with 9,232. According to race and ethnicity, COVID-19 statistics show: American Indian/Alaska Native with 1,688; Asian with 40,267; Black with 32,828; Hispanic/Latino with 451,800; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander with 3,746; White with 94,015; those of other race and ethnicity with 101,281 and 245,778 under investigation.
The L.A. Dept. of Public Health has reported 335 of 340 of all skilled nursing facilities in L.A. County have received and administered the first doses of the vaccine with 39,000 doses administered to staff and residents. Vaccination scheduling has continued throughout the week with L.A. Dept. of Public Health supporting distribution and administration of second doses of the vaccine.
“We are closer and closer to ending this pandemic, and collective action is what makes the difference in how many more people die,” said Ferrer. “It will take a few more months before there is enough vaccine supply available and enough people vaccinated to provide us with the level of protection needed to end the pandemic. Given the emergence of variants that may be more easily transmissible, now would be the time to figure out how you should modify your current activities to reduce exposure to others, since many people, who are out and about, are infected with COVID-19. Please continue to stay home as much as possible, wear a face covering, and stay at least 6 feet away from people you do not live with at all times."
Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2021-22 State Budget includes $1.75 billion one-time General Fund for Homekey, which will see the purchase of additional motels, short-term community mental health facilities, and purchase or preserve housing dedicated to seniors. Newsom launched Homekey in June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the homeless. The State has awarded the initiative $846 million to 94 different projects to secure over 6,000 units of permanent housing, on-time and under budget, for individuals and families who had been homeless.
For more information and statistics on COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/
For more detailed information on COVID-19 vaccination plans in L.A. County and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com.