The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Boyle Heights remained at five Wednesday, as health authorities reported a total of 138 new cases and three new deaths related to coronavirus in Los Angeles county. With the 128 new cases reported on Tuesday, there have been 266 new cases confirmed in the county in the last 48 hours, bringing the county total to date to 799.
All three individuals that died were over the age of 65 and had underlying health conditions. One resided in Gardena, one in Wilmington and the other case is still under investigation.
As of Wednesday, 160 positive cases (20% of positive cases) have been hospitalized.
The cases reported on Tuesday included one new case each in Lincoln Heights and East Los Angeles, bringing the total in those communities to two and three, respectively.
“Our hearts go out to each and every family affected by the unfortunate deaths and serious illness associated with COVID-19,” said Bárbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director, who stressed the importance of following state and county guidelines about staying at home as much as possible and practicing social distance when going outside. “Please help us reduce the number of people with serious illness by doing your part.”
“Social distancing is hard – so take advantage of some of the activities offered by our County departments like virtual workouts, e-books and virtual story hours for kids through the Library, virtual museum tours by Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and services from the Department of Mental Health for those who may being feeling stressed, depressed or anxious during this difficult time,” added Ferrer
The City of Los Angeles neighborhoods of Brentwood and Melrose show the highest number of cases, with 34 and 33 respectively. West Hollywood, which borders the Melrose neighborhood, is the county city with the highest numbers, at 31.
The number of Boyle Heights cases has remained steady since five cases were announced on March 16. Citing privacy concerns, Public Health would not say if the Boyle Heights cases were patients being treated at at LAC + USC Medical Center or other local hospital, or if any of the five were actual residents of the neighborhood.
County authorities stressed that because there are positive cases across the entire County, the public should not think one location is safer than the other.
Public Health is investigating all new cases and will notify close contacts who are household members, intimate partners and healthcare professionals to assess and monitor them for signs and symptoms of illness. All confirmed cases are being isolated and close contacts are quarantined.
Authorities said it is critically important that everyone adheres to all the social distancing measures and practice good public health hygiene, including washing hands as frequently as possible.
“Assume that anyone can have COVID-19, and anyone could unintentionally infect others,” Ferrer said. “Staying six feet away from others and limiting all non-essential activities outside our homes is the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. If you are ill with even mild illness, please stay isolated from others for at least 7 days until you are fever and symptom free for 3 days.”
On Saturday, Public Health issued an enhanced Health Officer Order, to reconcile elements with a similar order by the California Governor. The enhanced Order prohibits all gatherings and events, and clarifies that golf courses and personal grooming services (including hair and nail salons) are non-essential services that should remain closed. The Order can be found online: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/
Public Health has issued the following guidance during this time of increased spread:
- If you are mildly sick, stay home for at least seven days or until 72 hours after being fever free, whichever is longer. Call your doctor if you are concerned and/or your symptoms worsen. Individuals who are elderly, have underlying health conditions or pregnant should consider contacting their providers earlier when they are sick.
Sources of Information
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novelcoronavirus:
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/
- California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
- LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
This post was updated on March 25 at 4:00 pm.
