Los Angeles County Approaches Least Restrictive Level of Pandemic

The yellow level would allow most businesses to operate indoors, albeit with modifications. But the good data should be kept one more week

Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images

New state data on the incidence of coronavirus in California shed light on Los Angeles County and project the passage to the yellow level, the least restrictive , if the trend continues for another week.

The rate of coronavirus infections -adjusted according to the number of tests performed- was reduced to 1.9 new cases per day for each 80, 000 people. The county thus reaches the threshold to enter the level with fewer limitations, according to the classification of the state of California. But, to move forward, you must maintain the numbers for the next week.

“It is very encouraging to see that the work we are doing together has such a profound effect on health and the well-being of people in all of our communities, ”said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County public health director, on Monday, when state data was not yet known.

The new level of reopening would allow the most businesses to operate indoors, albeit with modifications . This positive data comes only six weeks after the county first exited the purple tier, the most restrictive . At the time, indoor operations were suspended or very limited for most of the businesses.

The situation in Los Angeles County anticipates what can happen in the rest of the state regarding measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus since Angelenos represent a quarter of the total population of California.

Last week, California registered an average of 1, 871 new cases per day, approximately one 80% less than two weeks ago, based on the data you compile Los Angeles Times . The data have not been at this low level since the coronavirus figures began to be recorded last spring .

The latest rate of new cases coronavirus in California is 38. 5 for each 114, 000 population. This figure is the lowest of any state and is well below the national rate, which is 114. 7 for each 100, 000 people, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its

Although the number of COVID tests – 19 has also fallen, the decrease in infections does not seem to be a consequence of it. The proportion of tests that tested positive has also plummeted to a rate of 1.2% , based on the seven-day average. During the worst days of the fall and winter wave, the statewide weekly positivity rate approached 15%.

The number of hospitalizations has also decreased . This Monday there were 1, 176 people admitted with COVID – 19, of which 431 were in intensive care. Both figures are the lowest recorded in the entire pandemic.