Last update 9/27/20
How many cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) are in the United States and locally?
United States
The total population of the U.S. is 328,200,000 people. The total number
of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. currently is 7,059,087 with 204,033
deaths. That means that about 2.1% of the population have or had confirmed
COVID-19. The number of cases increases cumulatively as the pandemic continues. However, the percentage of cases testing positive has continued to decrease
since mid-July, with some regional variation for the week ending September
19, when three of the ten regions increased slightly (Central, Mountain,
and Pacific Northwest). The percentage of outpatient and ED visits also
declined for the tenth consecutive week in all ten regions. The rate of hospitalization continues to be highest for people 65 years
of age and older. For those with COVID-19 nationally, the death rate has
continued to decline and is now about 2.89% (down from 2.95% the week
before). The CDC reports that among adults, 8 out of 10 deaths have been
65 years of age and older. To date, there have been 110,443,999 COVID-19
tests conducted in the U.S.
People at any age may be at greater risk if they have certain underlying
medical conditions. These include:
- cancer
- chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- obesity (body mass index [BMI] - of 30 or higher)
- serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease,
or cardiomyopathies
- sickle cell disease
- type 2 diabetes mellitus
Other conditions
might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Click here for more information about underlying medical conditions.
Los Angeles County
The total population in Los Angeles County is 10,040,000 people. As of
September 27, in Los Angeles County, the total number of confirmed cases
is 266,988 (with 6,504 deaths.)
That means that about 2.65% of the local population has or had confirmed
cases of COVID-19. The number of cases increases cumulatively as the pandemic continues. However, the percentage of cases testing positive has continued to decrease
since July 26 and after a slight uptick last week, appears to be stable.
Nearly 70% of the new cases are under the age of 50. Deaths have continued
to decline or have remained stable. The current death rate (# of deaths
in relation to # of cases) is about 2.4%, which is about the same as the previous week, and lower than the national average.
To date, 2,624,000 individuals have been tested for the virus across Los
Angeles County. Cumulatively, 9% have tested positive. This dropped recently
from 10%.
The number of hospitalizations have continued to decrease as of September
27, and are lower than they were at the end of May, an indicator that
efforts to stop the spread have been working. 92% of all patients who have died had underlying medical conditions. Death
by ethnicity is: 51% Latinx, 23% White/Caucasian, 15% Asian, 10% African
American/Black, less than 1% Native American/Pacific Islander, and 1%
Other Races.
See chart below for updated cases by age group.
*An
interactive map on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website for the United States
is updated Monday through Friday.
**Information about our area is updated daily on the
Los Angeles County Deparment of Public Health (LACDPH) website.
What is community spread? Is the virus still spreading in the U.S.?
The percentage of cases testing positive decreased in seven of the ten
regions nationally for the week ending September 19. The death rate and
percentage of outpatient and ED visits also continued to decrease nationally.
Community spread happens when people have been infected with the virus
in a community, including some who are not sure how or where they became
infected, and have not traveled to countries where the virus has been
circulating. It is now believed that there may be a significant number
of people infected with COVID-19 who do not show symptoms and may spread
the virus to others. The duration and severity of each phase can vary
depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response.
All 50 states have reported COVID-19 cases, with most having reported
widespread community spread.
Has the curve flattened in LA County?
As of September 27, the number of cases in the County testing positive
have been decreasing since July. There was a slight uptick in the week
ending September 12 but appears to now be stable. This indicates the COVID-19
pandemic is still present. According to LA County guidance, all residents,
business owners and employees must continue to observe and practice all
COVID-19 physical distancing requirements.
Is social distancing still needed? Has the Stay at Home Order been lifted?
Yes social distancing is still needed. As of September 27, Los Angeles
officials have continued the process of Stage 2 and some Stage 3 reopenings
of non-essential businesses with social distancing and specific infection
control protocols. These include grocery stores; outdoor retail shopping
centers at 50% capacity; drive-in restaurants; restaurants with outdoor
seating and pick-up; and libraries for curbside pickup. Other low risk
retailer such as bookstores, pet food stores, and hardware stores are
open, as well as hair salons, hotels and short term rentals with safeguards.
Also open are office-based businesses when teleworking is not possible,
such as realtors. Outdoor zoos and aquariums, and museums and galleries
with outdoor areas are open. Outdoor parks, recreational, and workout
facilities are also open including beaches, golf courses, trails, parks,
day camps, and camping parks. Film/TV/music productions can resume. Non-medical
face coverings and social distancing are required.
As of September 27, the following businesses are still closed under state
and County orders: indoor gyms/fitness centers, nail salons, massage parlors,
tattoo parlors. In addition the following remain closed: places of worship,
indoor malls, bars, breweries and brew pubs; wineries and tasting rooms;
bar areas and indoor seating in restaurants; public entertainment venues
including movie theaters, live performance theaters, concert venues, festivals,
racetracks, and professional sports leagues (training only); family entertainment
centers such as bowling alleys, arcades, miniature golf and batting cages;
indoor and outdoor playgrounds except those at school or childcare centers;
public hot tubs and saunas. All travel has been banned by foot, bicycle,
motorcycle, car or public transit unless the individual is engaged in
an essential or recreational activity.
Additional information is in the latest
City of Los Angeles Public Order update and on the
LA County Roadmap to Recovery page.
Social distancing is still needed. Residents should continue to practice
social distancing (staying 6 feet away from people who don't live
with you), wash hands frequently, and wear a face covering when leaving
your home. The Los Angeles Safer at Home Order is slowly being lifted
but residents are still ordered to not visit friends and family without
an urgent need, and to not visit patients in hospitals, nursing homes
and residential care facilities. Most people are also still ordered to
not go to their places of employment (certain jobs are exempt).
Recommendations to help protect yourself and prevent the spread are on our
COVID-19 FAQs page.
Will schools and colleges reopen in the fall 2020?
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) started the school year on
August 18 with online-only courses. The district is continuing to plan
for an eventual return to in-person classes but a timeline has not yet
been provided. Teachers have been provided with training in online education
and students will receive training to become better online learners. For
more information and resources, visit the
LAUSD website or call their hotline at 213.443.1300.
On August 12, the LA County Department of Public Health announced that
colleges and universities may continue essential operations but most academic
instruction must be distance-learning. They may continue to offer in person
training and instruction only for students who are or will become part
of the essential workforce and only for required activities that cannot
be accomplished through virtual learning. On-campus residency is provided
only for students who have no alternative housing options.
What are the symptoms, testing, and treatment options for someone who has COVID-19?
Symptoms usually appear gradually 2 to 14 days after exposure. Some people
have had only mild symptoms while others have become severely ill. As
of May 13, the CDC's revised list of symptoms include fever or chills,
cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body
aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of smell and taste, and congestion
or runny nose. Some patients may have digestive issues such as loss of
appetite or diarrhea. Severe symptoms include trouble breathing, persistent
pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish
lips or face. This list is not all possible symptoms. If you have these
or other symptoms that are severe or concern you, you should get medical
attention immediately.
The City of Los Angeles is providing free COVID-19 testing to all Los Angeles
County residents, whether or not you are experiencing symptoms. Priority
is given to people with symptoms. For more information visit the
City of Los Angeles COVID-19 Testing page.
Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special
treatment. There is no specific treatment for illnesses caused by COVID-19
however many of the symptoms can be treated. Generally, it depends on
the severity of the case and the patient's medical condition and history.
More information about what you should do if you think you have COVID-19
symptoms is on our
COVID-19 FAQs page.
When will a COVID-19 patient be isolated or quarantined?
Public health actions that are used to limit the spread of the virus include
isolation and quarantine. Isolation is used when a person is sick with
COVID-19 and is isolated from other people in their own homes. In more
severe cases a sick patient will be isolated in hospitals and other healthcare
facilities, away from other patients. In most cases isolation is voluntary,
but health officials have the power to require isolation of sick people
to protect the public's health.
When a person is quarantined they are separated from others because they
have tested positive for the virus but are not sick. Even though they
are not sick at the moment, if they were exposed to the disease, they
may still become infectious and spread the disease to others.
Evidence suggests that it may take longer for the virus to shed, which
means an infected person be able to infect other people over a longer
period of time than was initially thought. On May 8, the CDC updated their
guidance on how long people who are positive or presumed positive for
COVID-19 should self-isolate. Visit the
CDC website for more information.
Where can the public get up-to-date information?
Please check our main
COVID-19 portal page which will be regularly updated with the latest information from
Valley Presbyterian Hospital, including links to event and class cancellations
as well as messages from our CEO.
Our
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page provides answers to many questions such as how to prevent the COVID-19
virus and what to do if you think you have it.
Our
Resources page has links to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health, City of Los Angeles, and World Health Organization
for up-to-date information locally, nationally and worldwide.
Return to COVID-19 portal page