by Kathryn Dunn | editor@claremont-courier.com

Los Angeles County is essentially one month into life with coronavirus. It was March 4 when the public health department said it had found seven cases of COVID-19. As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 6,910 cases found across all areas of LA County, including 169 deaths.

The county said 22 percent of the positive cases, or 1,510 people, have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Of those tested so far, which the county estimates are 35,000 people, 14 percent had a positive result. Testing is still limited to those at high risk or are experiencing symptoms or were exposed to the virus through a close contact.

The first death from coronavirus in Los Angeles county was reported on March 11. The following Sunday, March 15, Governor Gavin Newsom set new guidelines for California, including closing all bars and nightclubs, while limiting public gatherings to 10 people or less. The county followed on March 16 with an official order, although it had identified just 69 cases, 10 of which were due to community transmission.

Recovery rates in LA County are quite high, with nearly 97 percent or 6,213 of the 6,360 people surviving. And this week, new cases seemed to have stabilized a bit—Monday saw 420 new cases and there were 550 new cases today, compared to 600 or more than 700 that were identified each day last week.

Claremont has six cases, or a rate of 16.61 per 100,000. The county notes that those six cases are not attributed to anyone living in unincorporated areas of the city. The city of La Verne has seven cases or a rate of 21.14.

Melrose reports 164 cases (a rate of 211.25), making it the city in LA county with the highest number of residents with coronavirus. However, Hancock Park has the highest rate at 273.97 per 100,000, with only 45 residents diagnosed.

Drive up testing at Pomona Fairplex launched over the weekend, however

it is still limited to people with symptoms, or people who have been prevented from working because of contact with someone who has been infected, the county said. People older than 65 years of age or those with underlying chronic health issues, get priority for same or next day testing appointments.

To find out if you are eligible for testing, you can take a short questionnaire on the county website by visiting https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs.

The county’s public health officials say the best defense is still to practice physical distancing, wash your hands frequently and stay home. If you must go out, as of Tuesday, the county urges all people to wear a face covering while out in public.