text: 'Grim' Milestone: Over 16,000 COVID-19 Deaths Reported In L.A. County - The Valley Post
  'Grim' Milestone: Over 16,000 COVID-19 Deaths Reported In L.A. County
  Los Angeles County has reached a "grim milestone" of over 16,000 COVID-19 deaths, less than a week after topping 15,000.
  On Thursday, there were 213 deaths and 6,592 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH).
  Since the beginning of the pandemic, Public Health has identified 1,097,941 total positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 16,107 deaths.
  On Saturday, L.A. County surpassed the grim milestone of more than 15,000 COVID-19 deaths.
  COVID-19 deaths reflect transmission that occurred weeks earlier, according to the department.
  "Because of the recent surge in cases and hospitalizations earlier this month, the County will likely continue to experience a high number of deaths a day for some time," said public health officials.
  As of Jan. 25, there have been a total of nine deaths among the 5,569 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19.
  Public Health continues to urge expecting and new moms to take extra care and remain home as much as possible to avoid exposure to COVID-19
  "If you are sick or positive for COVID-19 and breastfeeding, wear a mask while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, and be sure to wash your hands before touching the baby or any pump or bottle before using. If possible, ask someone else to feed the baby your breastmilk by bottle," said public health officials.
  There are 6,026 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 26% of these people are in the ICU as of Thursday.
  Testing results are available for nearly 5,446,000 individuals with 19% of people testing positive.
  "To continue to drive down transmission, we all must commit to taking the actions that work to slow COVID-19 spread. When more sectors re-open the risk of COVID-19 transmission increases, because people are interacting more with non-household members," said Dr. Baraabra Ferrer, director of public health in a statement. "In order to avoid re-openings resulting in increases in cases, businesses and individuals need to be more diligent, not less, in following public health measures. We have a way to go before our hospitals are not stressed and fewer people die each day. Staying on a recovery journey is only possible if we all play by the rules."
  COVID-19 vaccine supply remains very limited. At this time, only Los Angeles County healthcare workers in Phase 1A and County residents age 65 and older are eligible to get their vaccination.
  When new appointments become available, residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up. On the website, you can also learn about the vaccination phases, determine when you can get vaccinated, and sign-up for the COVID-19 vaccine newsletter.
  For those without access to a computer or the internet, or with disabilities, a call center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473.
  Related Topics:CoronavirusCOVID-19COVID-19 DeathsCOVID-19 VaccineLA CountyLA County CoronavirusLA County COVID-19 VaccineLA COVID19Los Angeles CoronavirusLos Angeles County COVID19