Falls among young adults have risen sharply in the past 6 weeks and that age group is “now driving infections in LA County,” according to Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer. Ferrer made the statement at her regular coronavirus press conference.
Adults aged 18-29 now have the highest rate rates per 100,000 people of any demographic, at just over 25, she said. Children between the ages of 0 and 4 now have the second-highest rate per 100,000 people, at just 20.
Ferrer said these two age groups have seen “explosive growth” in the past 6 weeks. They now account for close to 70 percent of all new cases.
While the number of adults aged 18-29 who are hospitalized is still low, it is growing, and today 9-10 percent of all hospitalizations.
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When asked about the reason for the rapid increase among young people, Ferrer pointed to social gatherings. “That remains an easy place for transmission, especially indoors,” for young people, she said. “We have example after example after example.”
Ferrer said she understands that young people are tired of isolating and, with bars closed, trying to find a way to be social.
Ferrer, however, was not one of their solutions. “I say, you put it on other people’s backs.”
Another reason, Ferrer said, is that young people get infected at meetings and then take COVID with them to work. “They take infections in the workplace,” she said.
On Wednesday, the province reported 58 new deaths due to the virus, for a total of 5,109.
There were 2,428 new cases reported, including close to 700 cases from behind due to recent reporting system failures.
Ferrer said that so far 10 percent of the tests have been positive.
Hospitalization due to coronavirus and ICU patients with COVID-19 trend downward.
Earlier in the day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state reported 11,645 new cases over the past 24 hours. That includes 6,212 arrears.
Newsom said over the next 72 hours that much talk about overdue new cases would be returned to the appropriate dates.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 were down about 19 percent over the past 14 days. ICU permissions related to coronavirus were 16 percent over the same period.
Los Angeles County said Tuesday that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the region is 5,000. The grim milestone came when 63 new deaths were registered by the virus.
The agency also registered 1,440 confirmed new cases on Tuesday. That was down from the reported 1,920 new cases Monday; however, the figures have not yet backlogged data thanks to a statewide glitch reported last week that has resulted in under-reported totals up to two weeks.
