Coronavirus: Test Results Backlog Increases Cases in LA County

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County has increased significantly this week — officials said after a significant backlog of test results reports due to technical glitches.

The full picture of the problem and how it ultimately affects the county’s COVID-19 case count is not yet known. Public health officials said Thursday that they had addressed the issue, but hope to receive more accumulated results in the coming days.

Of the 3,600 new cases reported in the county on Thursday, authorities said approximately 2,000 were from untreated.

“In addition to handling state reporting system issues that resulted in the transmission of large numbers of duplicate records to LA County, the COVID-19 pandemic came from a reportable disease monitoring system that was not initially set up. Needed real-time construction of the county’s public health agency in a statement to The Times about the vast amount of data and the real-time demand for highly processed data needed to support COVID-19. ” Stated. “Building additional capacity and solutions while continuing to work can cause technical problems with one of the many features of the pipeline.”

There are regular reporting issues during the pandemic. The most important snuff was revealed in August, when state officials announced: A series of data failures We have backlogged 250,000 to 300,000 test results in California.

California is always essential, but California has access to complete and reliable data. Types of coronavirus surge It has hit many other states.

Already, more than 893,000 COVID-19 cases have been identified in California, the highest in any state, with more than 17,200 people dying from the disease.

In LA County alone, there are more than 294,000 cases and 7,000 deaths.

Apart from data issues, the county has also seen a slight increase in the daily number of reported cases since mid-September. “This is a source of some concern,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health, earlier this week.

The latest data log jam that LA County is looking for is coming Relax coronavirus-related restrictions To align local rules with broader state guidelines.

The change, which will be incorporated into Friday’s revised Health Officer Order, eliminates the need for winery and brewery customers to book, removes winery food service requirements, and reopens family entertainment centers with outdoor attractions such as go-karts. You will be able to do it. Trucks, miniature golf courses, batting cages.

State officials Announced this week All personal care services including hair removal, massage and tattoo parlors will be available for resumption Modified indoor operation..

Officials also said that all LA County schools bring up to 25% of their registrations to campus to serve students with special needs, especially those with disabilities and students learning English. Said that it would be allowed.

In addition, the Times made it easier for authorities to reopen primary schools for the youngest students, with an exemption to withdraw the requirement for schools to obtain letters of support from employee unions as part of their application. I learned that.

LA County remains Tier 1 in California 4-layer reopening plan — Also known as the purple layer, it represents a widespread risk of community coronavirus infection.

For counties in that category, many businesses and public facilities cannot operate indoors or can only operate in strictly limited capacity.

If there are more than 7 new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people per day, or if the test positive rate exceeds 8%, the county is classified in the purple layer. Currently, the new case rates in LA County are too high to move to a less restrictive hierarchy.

Going through the state reopening phase is a careful design process. The county must stay in the tier for at least three weeks before proceeding, and to do so, it must meet the benchmark for the next tier for two consecutive weeks.

As recently happened in Riverside and Shasta counties, the county can also return to a more restrictive hierarchy if the metric deteriorates for two consecutive weeks.

Dr. Mark Garry, Secretary-General of the California Department of Health and Welfare, said authorities have developed a “slow and rigorous” approach based on lessons learned from the initial reopening. Rapidly relaxed restrictions, Just to see the coronavirus infection Soar to new height During the summer.

However, some county-level officials continue to complain about what they consider to be an overly slow, all-purpose strategy.

“The top-down approach to mitigating COVID-19 from Sacramento isn’t working,” Michel Steele, chairman of Orange County’s supervisory board, said at a press conference Thursday. “Most companies have reopened, but due to state obligations, they operate with limited capacity.”

Orange County is now in Tier 2, called Red Tear, indicating an increased risk of the spread of the community coronavirus.

Under new guidance released this week by the state, theme parks like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, one of the county’s largest employers, have limited capacity until the county moves to a less restrictive hierarchy. But I can’t open it.

According to Steele, the state’s approach “has harmed people in need of work, small businesses, and the communities that depend on them.”

“Orange County isn’t the only one to express concern about this model,” she said. “We want to work with the state to contain this virus and ultimately eliminate it, but this top-down approach with little communication is not productive. For each municipality, COVID There are various issues that affect the -19 epidemic. “

Authorities have repeatedly emphasized that county residents are playing a major role in lowering the litigation rate to a level where further restrictions can be lifted.

“Looking at the widespread outbreaks in LA County, we can see that many people who are positive for COVID-19 are unaware that they have been exposed to the infection,” Feller said in a statement Thursday. Said in. “I [ask] Keep this in mind when you go out. “

It is not natural for residents to come into contact with infected people, but “if people do not protect themselves or others, they should cover their faces, wash their hands frequently, and be at least 6 feet away. — The virus can spread quickly and have devastating effects, “she said.

Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II, Howard Blume, and Laura Newberry contributed to this report.