Five new coronavirus cases were confirmed among Santa Monica residents Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the city to 164.
The number of local cases has tripled over the last month from 53 on April 1, but confirmed cases haven't grown at the same rate from week to week. Cases increased by 12% over the last week after rising 37% the week before. From April 10 to 17, the total rose by 22% after climbing 42% from April 3 to 7.
As of Friday, nine Santa Monica residents had died from COVID-19, according to a dashboard Los Angeles County launched earlier this week. Twelve deaths have been reported at two nursing homes and it is unknown if the individuals who died permanently resided in Santa Monica and are therefore included among the deaths reported in the city.
Four local nursing homes had outbreaks as of Friday, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
At the Rehabilitation Center of Santa Monica, 12 staff and 24 residents have tested positive, and nine have died.
Beachwood Post-Acute & Rehab has 12 staff and 22 residents with coronavirus. The facility has reported three deaths.
Ocean Pointe Healthcare Center has reported five cases among staff and 14 among residents, and Brentwood Health Care Center has reported seven among staff and three among residents. Neither facility has reported deaths.
L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer announced 62 deaths and 1,065 cases throughout the county Friday, bringing the death toll to 1,172 and the total number of cases to 24,215. Nearly 1 in 2 deaths have occurred in congregate living facilities, with the majority in nursing homes.
Ferrer said the county is planning for a slow and careful recovery. If residents do not continue to follow strict health officer orders as the county reopens, the area could easily see a large spike in new cases, she said.
"We all need to do our part to make sure we avoid this situation," Ferrer said.
Nearly 2,000 people were hospitalized May 1, more than double the number that were in the hospital April 1, Ferrer said. Of those currently hospitalized, 27% are in the ICU and 17% are on ventilators.
Ferrer said 182 people experiencing homelessness have tested positive. More than 100 were sheltered, mostly at the Union Rescue Mission, which experienced a large outbreak and tested every resident and employee. The county is investigating 14 other shelters, she said.
Additionally, 754 people incarcerated in jails and prisons within the county have tested positive. More than 500 cases are at Terminal Island federal prison in San Pedro, where every inmate has been tested. Five people incarcerated at Terminal Island have died from COVID-19, Ferrer said Friday.
As of Friday, more than 152,000 L.A. County residents have been tested and 14% have tested positive.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said earlier this week that all city residents, regardless of symptoms, will be able to get tested at city-run sites. But on Thursday, county officials said testing at county-run sites would be restricted to people with symptoms and high-risk asymptomatic people, such as individuals older than 65 or with underlying health conditions.
The closest city-run testing site to Santa Monica is at the Veteran's Administration campus in West Los Angeles.
madeleine@smdp.com
