Three new COVID-19 deaths have been reported for Manhattan Beach by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, bringing the total number since the beginning of the pandemic to 17.
Those deaths were most likely part of a records backlog that occurred during the COVID-19 surge over the holidays.
According to a statement from the LACDPH:
"Through extensive checks of death records, Public Health has
identified an additional 806 COVID-19 -associated deaths that were not
initially recorded as COVD-19 deaths. The majority of these deaths
occurred during the surge between December 3, 2020 and February 3, 2021,
a period when many deaths occurred and not all were reported to Public
Health due to the volume of records. Public Health identifies
COVID-associated deaths primarily by submission of Death Report Forms
from healthcare providers. Additionally, vital records are used to
identify deaths related to COVID-19 by reviewing the cause of death
listed on death certificates. This review of vital records, delayed by
the high volume of Death Report Forms during the surge, identified the
additional deaths. Public Health has already reported 9,712 deaths that
occurred between December 2020 and January 2021 and were reported
through Death Report Forms. Therefore, 92% of deaths that occurred
during that period were previously reported.
The LACDPH, citing HIPAA rules, does not reveal demographic details on deaths on a town-by-town basis.
However, county-wide, it reported that among the 806 newly reported deaths, 47% were over 80
years old and a about half were male; 46% were Latino/Latinx; 29% were
White; 16% were Asian; and 8% were Black/African American. Four people
who passed away were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders and one person
was an American Indian or Alaska Native. Sixty-three percent died at
the hospital and 16% died at a skilled nursing facility.
All told, since the beginning of the pandemic, 1197 people in Manhattan Beach have tested positive for COVID-19 and 17 have passed away.
The LACDPH has calculated a "Death Rate" for Manhattan Beach (defined as the number of deaths per 100,000 residents) of 47. While tragic, this number continues to be one of the lowest death rates reported in Los Angeles County communities.