COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County have nearly doubled in the last two weeks, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Monday.
As of Monday, 1,437 coronavirus patients are hospitalized in the county, according to the department. Two weeks ago, that number was at 745.
The vast majority — 92% — of the 3,158 people who were hospitalized in L.A. County between May 1 and July 17 were not fully vaccinated, the department added.
L.A. County public health officials also on Monday announced 2,919 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths, bringing the reported totals to more than 1.3 million positive cases and 24,783 deaths.
Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, extended condolences to those who have lost family members and friends to COVID-19 in the statement, adding that the “significant increase in hospitalizations is of great concern.”
“With the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, we are hopeful that more people will get vaccinated during this time of very high transmission,” Ferrer said. “Throughout this pandemic, people who live with chronic illnesses have suffered serious outcomes of COVID-19 infection. Because chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity dramatically increase the risk of getting severely ill or dying with COVID-19 infection, vaccination is particularly important for people living with these conditions. Everyone eligible for vaccination is urged to get vaccinated, especially if you have any chronic health conditions. Please talk with your health care provider if you have concerns about getting vaccinated.”
Vaccinations are free and available to anyone ages 12 and over. To schedule a vaccination or receive more information, visit VaccinateLACounty.com for English and VacunateLosAngeles.com for Spanish.