Coronavirus cases climb again in L.A. County, mostly in those under 50

The number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County climbed again Saturday as public health officials reported 1,094 new cases and eight deaths. The majority of the new cases are among individuals between the ages of 18 and 49, officials said.

L.A. County was averaging 598 new cases a day over the past week, according to a preliminary Times tally, so the last few days mark a significant increase from a month ago, when the county was reporting fewer than 200 new cases a day. On Friday, officials reported 1,060 new cases.

The latest case rates, however, are far less than the peak of more than 15,000 new daily coronavirus cases at the height of the pandemic.

Public health officials on Saturday attributed the rise in cases to increased social activities and the circulation of more variants, including the highly transmissible Delta variant.

“As cases increase, the urgency to get more people vaccinated is rising,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Nearly 100% of new cases are occurring among those not fully vaccinated.”

COVID-19 hospitalizations are also rising in L.A. County. The record low for COVID-19 hospitalizations was posted June 12, when 212 people were in the hospital, a 97% decrease from the peak of the pandemic Jan. 5, when 8,098 people were in hospitals.

There are 336 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, public health officials said Saturday.

Officials said 70% of the new cases reported Saturday are among individuals between 18 and 49 years old.

The test positivity rate has increased from the 1.5% reported last week to Saturday’s rate of 2.4%.

Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.