Los Angeles County is one of 13 counties in California being closely monitored during the reopening process, as its coronavirus data did not meet the threshold, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a Monday briefing.
“We target our engagement in areas where we see the numbers that are raising a little bit of concern, and currently, we have 13 counties of the 58 in the state of California, where we have targeted engagement, where we are providing technical assistance, we are providing resources, human resources and physical resources,” Newsom said.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California Health and Human Services, said these counties had three consecutive days of concern due to data indicating elevated disease transmission, increasing hospitalization and limited hospital capacity.
In L.A. County, it was the elevated disease transmission that was of concern, as the county figures showed 162.5 cases per 100,000 population.
“We want to see no more than 25 per 100,000 cases in your communities,” Ghaly said. “Each day, we use this information through frequent calls and meetings and conversations about resources, needs and plans, so that we can make sure, as frequently as possible, we’re getting in front of issues early and trying to help support counties so that, as we look to reopen, we stay very vigilant around the data points that matter.”
That being said, this does not mean the county will be barred from continuing the reopening process, but just that state officials are going to continue having frequent conversations with county partners.
