A.M. Brief: Model Says 1 in 3 County Residents Has Had COVID-19

Have you had the coronavirus without knowing? A new model says that one in three Angelenos have likely been infected, even though we’ve identified just short of one million cases in the county. Also this morning: A disproportionately high spike in Latino deaths due to COVID-19, Disneyland cancels annual passes, and the new super vaccination site at Dodger Stadium is open to the public. It’s Friday. This is your news brief. Take it.

Morning News Rundown

Health officials now estimate that one in three Los Angeles County residents have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. If the modeling is accurate, that means more than 3 million residents have been infected. To date, L.A. Public Health has identified 975,299 positive cases of COVID-19 in the county. [L.A. Times]

Deaths due to COVID-19 have spiked dramatically in L.A. County’s Latino population, alarming health officials. The most recent data shows that Latino COVID-19 deaths have risen from 3.5 daily deaths per 100,000 people in early November to 28 deaths per 100,000 people now. That rate is almost double the death rate of the next closest ethnic group within the data set. [L.A. Times]

The Disneyland annual program is no more. Due to the “continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations around the reopening,” Disneyland announced it is issuing refunds to current pass holders. [We Like L.A.]

After several days of preparations, the vaccination mega-site at Dodger Stadium opened earlier this morning. Health officials aim to vaccinate up to 12,000 individuals per day at the stadium, though currently, only healthcare workers with appointments are eligible. [CBS Los Angeles]

35% of Metro bus operators, or about 800 bus operators total, are currently out due to COVID-19 and unrelated absences, according to new reporting by CBS Los Angeles. Uninfected drivers have been asked to clock six-day weeks to cover for hundreds of absences. [CBS Los Angeles]