County tells protestors to consider isolating
By Sam Catanzaro
On a day when nearly 1,500 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Los Angeles County, officials are advising people who have been at protests to consider isolating two weeks.
On Thursday the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirmed 44 new deaths and 1,469 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The large increase in positive cases reflects a lag in reporting from one lab of over 500 positive cases, according to Public Health.
As of Thursday, Public Health has identified 59,650 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,531 deaths. 76 cases and 5 deaths have been confirmed in Westwood. 36 cases and 0 deaths have been confirmed in Brentwood Century City.
93 percent of people who died had underlying health conditions, health officials say. As of Thursday, 6,766 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (11 percent of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness.
At a press conference Thursday, Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer told people who have been in large crowds at protests to consider isolating for two weeks.
“If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while out and in large crowds, because you were in close contact for at least 15 minutes with people who were not wearing face coverings, please remember that the virus has a long incubation period and it will be important to remain away from others as much as possible for 14 days. Testing negative for COVID-19 right after you’ve been exposed does not mean you can’t become infected later during the incubation period, so please stay away from others for 14 days after possible exposure. Should you develop symptoms within 14 days of exposure, please contact your healthcare provider to connect to care and testing,” Ferrer said.
