LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Los Angeles County’s latest COVID-19 numbers show more than 2,400 new infections — a figure that could be low due to weekend reporting lags — as well as five additional deaths and a recent tripling of weekly cases among pregnant women.
The data came amid reports Monday night that the Biden administration is poised to recommend booster shots for most vaccinated Americans eight months after they became fully vaccinated — a process that reportedly would begin in mid- to late September.
LA County already is offering third doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people with severely compromised immune systems.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Health reported 2,426 new cases Monday, raising the overall total from throughout the pandemic to 1,352,791. The five new deaths lifted the county’s overall death toll to 24,905.
There were 1,679 people hospitalized in the county with COVID-19 as of Monday, including 402 in intensive care, according to state figures. That was up from 1,653 overall patients and 377 ICU patients reported Sunday.
Cases have been reported at an average rate of more than 3,000 cases a day for about the past week, and a rise in case numbers can be expected in the coming weeks with increased testing at schools and businesses, according to county health officials.
The county on Monday also warned of a recent tripling of weekly cases among pregnant women, reporting that 27 cases were reported during the week that ended June 27, while 81 were reported during the week ending July 25.
“Unfortunately, pregnant women are at high risk for serious health problems if they become infected with COVID-19,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.