Younger people are driving COVID-19’s spread in Los Angeles County, accounting for well over half of new infections reported Tuesday, health officials said.
People under 41 years old represent 57% of new cases Tuesday, excluding those among Long Beach and Pasadena residents, for whom the same demographic data is not available. Meanwhile, people over age 65 make up 11% of all cases but nearly 75% of fatalities, according to a news release from the county’s Department of Public Health.
“The tragedy of what we are witnessing is that many of our younger residents are interacting with each other and not adhering to the recommended prevention measures, while our older residents continue to experience the results of this increased spread with the worst health outcomes, including death,” Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said in a statement.
L.A. County reported another 2,741 cases and 50 more virus-related deaths — under the daily average of 3,050 new infections, but significantly higher than the daily average 30 deaths in the past week.
Public health officials did not hold a briefing Tuesday to discuss the new figures.
The county has now confirmed nearly 161,700 positive cases in total, 4,154 of which have resulted in death.
Hospitalizations exceeded 2,200 for the third day in a row, with more than a quarter of those patients in intensive care units and 18% of them on ventilators, officials said.
Public health officials urge all Angelenos to avoid crowded places, confined spaces and close contact with people outside their household — what they call “the three Cs.” When people do venture out, they should wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of social distance.
To further that goal, state officials have mandated many businesses that typically operate indoors — including gyms, restaurants and salons — to only offer their services in outdoor spaces.