The number of COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals was holding steady at 352, up 10 from the previous day’s total but down slightly from a week ago, according to the latest state numbers released Saturday.
Of those patients, 35 were being treated in intensive care.
Meanwhile, the statewide total of hospitalized patients has dropped below 1,500 for the first time since last May, declining by 75 people to 1,494, the state reported Saturday.
Some of the hospitalized patients were admitted for other reasons and learned they had COVID after a mandated test.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that new COVID-19 infections in Los Angeles County dropped by 22% compared to the previous week, while virus-related deaths and hospitalizations also fell. The weekly COVID case number in the county was 2,731, down from 3,505 the previous week. The number of weekly deaths was 53, down from 58 the prior week.
Health officials say a majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension.
The drops were reported as the health department again urged residents — particularly those in vulnerable groups — to receive the latest vaccine booster shot to guard against severe illness from infection.
Health officials said only 42% of residents age 65 and over — who are most vulnerable to hospitalization and death from the virus — have received the most recent bivalent booster, which was engineered to specifically protect against the prevalent strain of COVID.
“I am feeling optimistic about the COVID numbers in Los Angeles County, and I hope to see them continue to decline,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “However, it is difficult to overlook the fact that people continue to die and be deeply impacted by this disease, more than three years on. I fear that people do not know the full risks, or that protection is available.
“I especially encourage those at higher risk for severe illness to get their bivalent booster for increased protection, even though many safety measures have been lifted. This is because every day, even with lower rates of transmission, hundreds of people in Los Angeles County get infected; those at higher risk significantly reduce their chance of experiencing a bad outcome should they get infected if they are boosted.”