As LA County hits another grim milestone in the pandemic, the prospect of increasing COVID-19 vaccinations brings hope.
Covid-related deaths have surpassed the 23,000 mark. And while the numbers have fallen dramatically since the peak of the winter surge, deaths continue to mount, at an average rate now of about 53 a day.
Officials are hoping to see that drop as vaccinations ramp up.
The county, like the state, plans to expand vaccine eligibility to anyone 50 and older on April 1 and to all people 16 and older by April 15.
The state does expect to start getting a lot more vaccine in the coming weeks.
For now, LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says supplies remain scarce and getting shots to people in hard hit communities is a priority. She notes progress is being made in closing vaccination gaps.
When eligibility expands, Ferrer says the county will "re-double efforts" to increase accessibility and availability of shots in areas with the highest risk and the lowest vaccination rates.
