L.A. County Public Health Covid-19 Report: 29 New Deaths & 527 New Confirmed Cases, With Daily Test Positivity Rate At 0.9%

On Saturday, the L.A. County Department of Public Health released new data on Covid-19, reporting 29 new deaths and 527 new positive cases.

While the Department’s data showed that hospitalizations continue to decrease, case numbers and deaths reported may reflect delays in weekend reporting.

Data from Public Health brings L.A. County to a total of 23,626 deaths, and 1,228,564 confirmed cases. At time of reporting, 498 L.A. County residents are hospitalized with Covid-19; 23% of them are in the ICU.

COVID-19 Daily Update:
April 17, 2021
New Cases: 527 (1,228,564 to date)
New Deaths: 29 (23,626 to date)
Current Hospitalizations: 498 pic.twitter.com/jGKUEz35YA

— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) April 17, 2021

Test results have now been made available to 6,292,000 individuals, with 18% of individuals testing positive. Today’s daily test positivity rate is 0.9%—the lowest it has been since the beginning of the pandemic.

Eight of today’s new deaths were of individuals over the age of 80, with 11 people between the ages of 65 and 79 lost to the virus. Eight individuals who died were between 50 and 64 years years of age, with one dying between ages 30 and 49, and one between the ages of 18 and 29.

Public Health Highlights Importance of Following Safety Protocols. 29 New Deaths and 527 New Positive Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. View https://t.co/XRAkKigGlj for more. pic.twitter.com/DW44gTPLbz

— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) April 17, 2021

Today, Public Heath Director Barbara Ferrer called for continued adherence to safety protocols, noting that it remains important, even as the County heats up. “When we get vaccinated, wear face coverings, keep our distance, and implement safeguards at workplaces, our actions minimize transmission and prevent severe health outcomes,” she said.

Currently, L.A. County is in the Orange tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, with Covid-19 vaccines available to all residents 16 and older.