First case of the coronavirus reported in La Cañada Flintridge
An individual testing positive for the coronavirus has been reported in La Cañada Flintridge, despite earlier reports from county public health officials that cases occurring in cities with fewer than 25,000 residents would be reported collectively and not by city.
Reported figures released this weekend by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department announced 59 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 countywide were identified on Saturday — including a new case reported in La Cañada Flintridge — while an additional 71 cases were reported on Sunday.
La Cañada City Manager Mark Alexander said Tuesday during a City Council meeting the county’s Health Department would not deliver city-specific transmission information to municipalities with populations under 25,000 people.
Instead, the county classified cases of the coronavirus identified in smaller cities only on a collective basis. As of March 18, a special category for cities with fewer than 25,000 residents had tallied 30 cases.
Alexander said in an email Monday the city received no news over the weekend on virus counts inside city limits.
“We do not receive word from the County DPH regarding any confirmed cases of COVID-19,” the city manager wrote in the email. “We were also not advised of any change to the 25,000-population rule — thus, we were also surprised to see La Cañada Flintridge specifically identified.”
As of 11:15 a.m. Monday, the county had recorded 409 cases of the virus in Los Angeles County, including five fatalities. Stay tuned for online updates from the La Cañada Valley Sun as the news develops.
