Vaccines: The rate of Pasadena residents over the minimum eligible age of 12 who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 increased to 85.3% on Tuesday, with another 8.1% of Pasadenans having received at least one dose, according to the latest figures released by the Pasadena Public Health Department. Meanwhile, the city continued to see a gradual decline in new infections, with 14 new cases of the virus detected. No fatalities were reported.
In total, Pasadena public health officials had documented 12,737 COVID-19 infections and 354 deaths.
The average number of daily infections over the prior week dropped for a 10th straight day to 19.4, according to city data. At Huntington Hospital, officials reported treating 29 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, with 10 of them housed in intensive care units.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced 1,938 new infections and 33 deaths, raising the county-wide totals to 1,407,317 COVID-19 cases and 25,284 fatalities.
Authorities listed 1,709 patients being treated for the virus at hospitals across L.A. County, with 26% of them requiring placement in ICUs.
With the increased spread of the Delta variant, L.A. County Director of Public Health said masking is vital to help control transmission.
California Department of Public Health officials listed 9,606 new infections and 16 deaths in Tuesday’s data update. In all, the state had recorded 4,222,663 cases of COVID-19 and 65,287 deaths, according to CDPH data. The statewide weekly positivity rate stood at 4.6%.
THE ECONOMY:
California consumer confidence falls: California shoppers seem antsy about this summer’s reinvigorated coronavirus, sending one consumer confidence index down for the second consecutive month. Source: The Conference Board’s monthly polling of shoppers, which creates various consumer confidence indexes, including California’s.
The Trend: The overall statewide index was 118.4 for August, down from a revised 119.2 a month earlier and 129.3 in June. This index had risen in five of 2021’s first six months.Yes, it’s far better than the lockdown-scarred 66.8 reading of a year ago. California’s confidence index averaged 113 in the five years before the pandemic.
Now let’s look at two measures inside the index … 1. California consumers’ view of current conditions scored 143.8, up from 134.7 a month earlier and well above 40 a year earlier. This measure averaged 141 in 2015-19. 2. It’s the future that’s particularly cloudy. Shoppers’ outlook statewide scored 101.5, down from 108.9 the previous month and the lowest reading since January. It’s also an increase from 84.6 a year earlier and an average 94 in 2015-19.
The Dissection: Note that California consumers are not the only ones worrying. The Conference Board tracks seven other states — Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan — and their overall confidence index fell in all of them in August. Next, look inside these state indexes.
Current conditions? Better in three states for the month — Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Over 12 months, current optimism is up in all seven.
Expectations? Up only in Michigan in the month. Over 12 months, optimism for the future rose in New York, Florida and Illinois. The consumer perspective for the entire nation is similar. The overall U.S. consumer confidence index was 113.8 in the month, down from 125.1 in July and up from 86.3 a year ago.
Other views: The polling also asks U.S. shoppers about their view on some key economic variables. Some highlights … National outlook for jobs, next six months? Down — 23% of consumers see more jobs six months from now vs. 25.5% a month earlier. It was 29.9% a year ago and averaged 17.4% in 2015-19.
Inflation rate a year from now? Up — 6.8% rate vs. 6.6% a month earlier. It was 5.8% a year ago and averaged 4.8% in 2015-19.
As for two major purchases, the national view … Plans to buy a home within six months? Down — 6.2% vs. 6.4% a month earlier. It was 5.8% a year ago and averaged 6.1% in 2015-19. Car purchase plans? Down — 10.8% vs. 12.1% a month earlier. It was 10.1% a year ago and averaged 12.6% in 2015-19.