The county reported another 64 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the county's overall fatality count to 8,000.
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County health officials said there are 3,113 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized - an increase of nearly 1,000 in about a week. Of those hospitalized, 24% are in the ICU.
The ICU available capacity is the key factor in determining whether a region will fall under the state's new stay-at-home order. It took effect in Southern California this week after the figure dropped well below 15% over the weekend.
The county also reported 8,547 new cases of COVID-19. The average number of new daily cases has now doubled just since the day after Thanksgiving.
California's health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says hospitalizations across the state have hit a record high, increasing by 71% in the last 14 days.
"We hope this new stay-at-home order gives us an opportunity to place a pause on all non-essential activities that increase the risk of transmitting the virus so that we're able to get the surge under control," said Los Angeles County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
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Ghaly says the regional stay-home order is also based on successes in other countries.
"Belgium when they imposed a nationwide closure the positivity rate in just three weeks fell from 21% to 8%," Ghaly said.
Ferrer says Los Angeles County could receive its first allocation of about 84,000 doses of the approved COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week. Health care workers will be given initial priority.
It could be well into 2021 before the general population has access to COVID-19 vaccines, officials say.