LOS ANGELES, Calif. Oct 14 – Today and tomorrow, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is meeting to discuss the need for boosters for those vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson or Moderna, and the committee today recommended approval of the Moderna booster dose. The committee will also review data on the safety and efficacy of ‘mixing and matching’ with a booster dose, which would involve receiving a different brand vaccine for the booster than that received for the original series.
Los Angeles County is prepared to administer Johnson & Johnson and Moderna boosters once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approves and determines eligibility.
In Los Angeles County, 947,664 individuals completed the Moderna two-dose series and 298,497 completed the Johnson & Johnson single dose by April 10. Most of these individuals will be eligible for boosters once approved by the CDC.
With final CDC approval for boosters, the vast county-wide network is prepared to begin administering these additional boosters to all eligible as determined by the CDC directive.
Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms 19 new deaths and 1,142 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 19 new deaths reported today, seven people who passed away were over the age of 80, two people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, three people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,474,518 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,372 deaths.
There are 698 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 28% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,833,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.0%.
The slight downward trend across all metrics has continued, with the County’s daily average case numbers decreasing 18% from 1,000 as of October 5, to now 925. Meanwhile, daily average hospitalizations are down to below 750, a 14% reduction from the prior week, and deaths decreased 25% to an average of 12 people passing away every day. Although we are thankful to see these numbers declining, we still have substantial transmission and will need to be vigilant if we want to reduce spread of the virus.
Given there is substantial transmission in L.A. County, K-12 schools remain focused on providing as much safety as possible for in-person learning. While there is a lot of evidence showing the protection vaccines offer, data on school cases and close contacts demonstrates the protective impact of other preventive measures, especially masking.
Last week, there were 591 student cases and nearly 2,400 student close contacts identified, a decrease of about 45% in both groups from the previous week. Among staff, there were 88 cases and 171 close contacts. Taking into account that the County has more than 1.7 million children and staff attending or working at over 3,000 schools countywide, these are strikingly low numbers. This amounts to 0.04% of students and staff testing positive and 0.2% identified as close contacts. The very low numbers represent a lot of hard work by superintendents, staff, parents, and students to consistently implement mitigation strategies. These efforts are making it possible to keep school communities safe.
Since August 16, the County has seen a total of 21 outbreaks in youth sports programs. Sixteen of those outbreaks have been associated with football, four were associated with cheerleading and dance teams, and one was associated with baseball. Overall, these outbreaks involved 394 cases and 1,527 contacts. Most of the infected individuals have been unvaccinated. Public Health continues to find that factors associated with spread include inconsistent masking, socialization on and off campus, inconsistent distancing in locker rooms and weight rooms, and shared transportation to and from events.
With the urgent need to avoid another devastating winter surge, new Health Officer Orders went into effect last week to create additional protections at high risk settings across the county. Bars, breweries, wineries, distilleries, nightclubs and lounges, along with outdoor mega events with more than 10,000 people, are all implementing vaccine verification requirements. As a reminder masks are still required for everyone indoors and at all indoor and outdoor mega events.
“To everyone who has lost friends and family during this difficult time, we are wishing you peace and comfort, and our prayers remain with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We have seen excellent compliance with the new Health Officer Order to date and thank both the establishments and the patrons for taking this extra step to help us avoid a disastrous winter. I want to acknowledge that the operational challenges at large event venues are significant and we are grateful for their continued partnership. As the fall sports season gets into full swing, I know many of you will be headed to sports bars and our amazing local arenas to watch the big games. The best way to enjoy yourself safely is to be vaccinated and prepared to comply with the public health directives.”
Before going to your favorite sports bar, ensure you and any teens coming with you have had at least one dose of vaccine, if before November 4, or are fully vaccinated, if on or after November 4. Bring proof of vaccination and a photo ID for everyone in your party, and plan to wear masks indoors except when actively eating or drinking. Consider using the outdoor areas of the establishment to be extra safe.
If you’re headed to a local venue to see a live game, make sure you and any accompanying teens are fully vaccinated or have had a recent negative COVID-19 test. Plan to bring proof of vaccination or negative testing for everyone in your party, and photo identification for everyone 18 and over. And once you’re at the game, please wear masks except when actively eating or drinking.
Public Health encourages everyone unvaccinated for COVID-19 to get vaccinated now to be fully protected for the holidays. Vaccinations are widely available throughout L.A. County and are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at many sites and all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.
Vaccinated middle and high school students are eligible for free UCLA football tickets. UCLA has partnered with Public Health to give away free tickets to a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl to middle or high school students in L.A. County who’ve received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while tickets last. Students aged 12 to 18 who’ve received at least one dose can sign up for the free tickets online by visiting: http://ph.lacounty.gov/DPHUCLAVaxforTix.
Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated.
9月28日，美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）局长布莱恩·贝德福德（Bryan Bedford）今天表示，由于该机构正在评估飞机制造商波音公司的737 Max 10客机是否存在安全隐患，一个软件问题将推迟对该机型的适航认证。对于正寻求为其畅销机型系列完成政府审批的波音公司而言，这可能构成一次挫折。 贝德福德今天在华盛顿特区举行的一场关于空中交通现代化的新闻发布会上表示：“我们尚未断定这是否属于飞行安全问题，但在确信不存在隐患之前，我们将推迟‘10’型飞机的相关进度。” 美国联邦航空管理局在一份声明中表示，“安全决定了适航取证的时间表”。该机构在声明中补充称，其正“按照安全审查程序调查这一软件故障，如有必要，将毫不犹豫地采取行动”。 在贝德福德发表上述言论后，波音公司的股价跌幅扩大，今天收盘下跌近7%；投资者正在评估该机型在历经多年挫折后再次面临延期交付的情况。 波音公司在一份声明中表示：“在推进适航取证程序的过程中，我们将继续遵循美国联邦航空管理局的指导。” 波音公司上周末表示，该问题可能出现在垂直导航系统中，具体发生在飞机放弃进近、执行复飞并重新对准跑道准备着陆的情况下，例如跑道上有障碍物时。波音公司和贝德福德均指出，飞行员已针对此类情况接受过相应训练。 波音公司首席执行官凯利·奥特伯格（Kelly Ortberg）本月早些时候曾告诉投资者，该公司预计“很快”就能获得监管机构对这些延期已久的飞机的批准。但波音公司9月26日曾表示，其上个月发现部分 737 Max 飞机存在一个可能影响特定着陆程序的软件故障。
2026年9月28日，太空探索科技公司（SpaceX ）于今天清晨发射了其巨大的“星舰”（Starship）火箭，首次将该航天器从位于美国德克萨斯州“星港”（Starbase）的公司基地及发射场送入轨道。 当地时间9月28日上午 8:15 左右，“星舰”成功进入轨道，现场观摩发射的 SpaceX 员工为这一里程碑时刻爆发出热烈的欢呼声。 在“星舰”（Starship）的第14次试飞期间，亿万富豪埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）旗下的这家航空航天与防务公司还成功部署了26颗新型“星链”（Starlink）V3卫星。 SpaceX旗下的社交媒体X对此次试飞进行了直播，画面显示火箭于美国东部时间上午8:48（即当地时间上午7:48）从“星际基地”（Starbase）发射升空。发射后不久，该火箭的助推器在“星际基地”附近海域实现了“软溅落”；与此同时，“星舰”航天器继续沿亚轨道轨迹爬升，尽管其一台真空发动机在飞行途中停止了工作。 “星舰”对于SpaceX的扩张计划至关重要。该公司寄望于这款巨型火箭来扩大其“星链”（即连接服务）业务的规模；截至今年第二季度，该业务已成为该公司规模最大且唯一实现盈利的板块。目前，SpaceX在轨运行的活跃卫星数量约为1.1万颗，而其竞争对手欧洲通讯卫星公司一家子公司“ 一网公司”(Eutelsat OneWeb）的在轨卫星数量仅为约650颗。 在8月份SpaceX的财报电话会议上，马斯克表示：“未来某个时候，星链很有可能承载全球大部分互联网流量，至少在那些允许我们运营的国家是如此，而这些国家涵盖了世界上绝大多数地区。” SpaceX公司表示，一枚“星舰”火箭可将60颗新型“星链”…
9月27日，特朗普总统今天前往伊利诺伊州芝加哥郊外的梅迪纳乡村俱乐部（Medinah Country Club），以荣誉主席的身份出席了“总统杯”(Presidents Cup）高尔夫球赛的最后一日赛事。美国队在今天的比赛中奋起直追，最终赢得了胜利。 特朗普总统的行程始于他在参赛球员开球前约一个半小时，他乘坐的专机飞越该乡村俱乐部上空。 特朗普总统在芝加哥奥黑尔国际机场（Chicago O'Hare International Airport）短暂停留并与记者们交谈，随后乘车前往“总统杯”赛事现场；在场馆外，反对特朗普的人士与支持他的人士分别举行了针锋相对的抗议和集会活动。 特朗普总统进入梅迪纳乡村俱乐部后，来到了第一洞的发球区，并全程停留于此，以便安保力量能集中精力守卫这一特定区域。 人们看到特警队（SWAT）的警员和车辆出现在球场的球道上，并部署在第一洞发球台看台周围。观众若想进入该区域，也必须通过类似机场安检（TSA）的严格检查。 特朗普总统在比赛开始前出现在第一洞发球台，向数千名观众发表了简短讲话。特朗普总统表示：“你们将看到世界上最优秀的球员、最顶尖的高尔夫球手。” 特朗普总统说：“大家是来看高尔夫比赛的，不想听演讲，我只想说一句：我们的国家发展得非常好，比以往任何时候都要好。” 随后，他与每位球员握手，并观看他们开球，全程持续了一个多小时。 这是特朗普总统自2024年美国总统大选以来首次在芝加哥公开亮相；据组织者介绍，此次访问的筹备工作历时数月。…
9月27日，白宫今天发表一份题为“特朗普总统在主持历史性国事访问期间，推动与中国的公平及对等的关系”的事实简报，全文如下： 为美国人民取得成果。本周，特朗普总统和第一夫人梅拉尼娅接待了中华人民共和国国家主席习近平和彭丽媛女士作为回访的国事访问。在此期间，特朗普总统推动了美中关系的发展，并将美国人民放在第一位。 * 美国欢迎中国将奥啡类物质（orphines）这类致命药物列入管制目录。美国还注意到中国针对两种芬太尼前体化学品实施的新的出口管制措施，同时强烈敦促将这些及其他物质和化学品永久列入管制目录，以帮助遏制非法前体流向北美危险的毒品恐怖主义分子。 * 2026年8月，根据美国执法部门提供的信息，中国逮捕了21名中国公民，因其制造并向北美非法毒品生产商分销前体化学品。美国强烈敦促对其处以最高刑罚，包括在适用情况下判处死刑。 * 特朗普总统敦促习近平主席增加精炼石油产品的产量，以稳定全球供应。 * 美国欢迎中国租借给亚特兰大动物园的两只大熊猫的到来。 推动贸易与投资委员会实际运作：本周，两国领导人推动了美中贸易委员会（U.S.-China Board of Trade）和美中投资委员会（U.S.-China Board…
9月27日，亚特兰大动物园今天证实，根据中美两国政府达成的协议，两只租借中国的大熊猫已抵达美国。 亚特兰大动物园表示，大熊猫“平平”（Ping Ping）和“福双”（Fu Shuang）于今天上午搭乘一架波音777“联邦快递熊猫专机”抵达哈茨菲尔德-杰克逊国际机场。 该动物园总裁兼首席执行官雷蒙德·金（Raymond King）在社交媒体上发表声明称：“对于亚特兰大动物园来说，这是激动人心的一天；对于亚特兰大市、佐治亚州乃至更广泛的地区而言，这也是一个历史性的时刻。我们非常高兴能迎来‘平平’和‘福双’，并迫不及待地想在未来几周内与我们的会员、游客、本市及社区民众分享这份喜悦。” 亚特兰大动物园表示，游客还需要等待一段时间才能见到“平平”和“福双”。它们将在该野生动物园新建的大熊猫馆内一处具备生物安全保障的区域接受为期约一个月的隔离检疫。园方尚未确定具体的展出日期。 中国国家主席习近平在华盛顿出席与特朗普总统举行的为期3天的峰会期间，宣布将把这两只大熊猫租借给亚特兰大动物园，并表示它们即将抵达。这也是习近平此次访美取得的具体成果之一。 亚特兰大动物园参与一项与中国的大熊猫合作协议已超过25年。该动物园于2024年送别了最后几只大熊猫，目前园内已无大熊猫。尽管早在4月份就宣布了新的协议，但并未公布具体日期。 根据协议，平平和福双这2只成年大熊猫将租借给亚特兰大动物园10年。这2只大熊猫均出生于2020年，此前一直生活在成都大熊猫繁育研究基地。雄性大熊猫“平平”眼周有深黑色的眼圈，而雌性大熊猫“福双”的前额略微突出。 长期以来，中国一直将大熊猫作为全球外交的一部分，通过“熊猫外交”租借项目展示善意，并在关系紧张时让租借协议到期终止。目前，美国还有另外两家动物园饲养着大熊猫。美国国家动物园和圣地亚哥动物园均于2024年曾从中国接收了大熊猫。
9月26日，美国总统特朗普拒绝了伊朗提出的最新提议，该提议旨在7天内重新开放霍尔木兹海峡，并启动旨在结束战争的深入谈判。 特朗普总统今天离开白宫前往田纳西州时表示：“我拒绝了他们的协议，他们想达成一项立即开放海峡的协议，因为他们正遭受惨重失败。‘假新闻’媒体不会报道这些情况。我们正取得巨大胜利，完全控制着霍尔木兹海峡，大量石油正从海峡运出——昨晚就有29艘船只通过。” 特朗普总统表示：“他们想达成协议，我觉得这很好，我也喜欢达成协议。但他们提出的那份协议是不可接受的。” 此前，美国和伊朗都曾对联合国大会期间在纽约举行的会谈表示乐观，尽管双方并未透露具体讨论细节。虽然特朗普总统本人未直接参加会谈，但他的女婿贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）和特使史蒂夫·威特科夫（Steve Witkoff）参与了与伊朗外交部长阿巴斯·阿拉格希（Abbas Araghchi）的谈判。 据报道，伊朗提出的一份关于重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的协议与6月份签署的《伊斯兰堡备忘录》类似，内容包括解除封锁、允许伊朗出口石油以及停止中东各战区的战斗。然而，美伊双方在海峡通行管控权等问题上对备忘录的解读存在分歧，导致该协议最终在7月份破裂。 伊朗总统马苏德·佩泽希基扬（Masoud Pezeshkian）9月25日称，伊朗已做好实施这项新协议的准备。 佩泽希基扬表示：“如果这一信息能传达给美国总统，或是传达给采访者及参与讨论的相关人员，那么这一进程自然就会从他们接受协议的那一天起正式启动。” 尽管美国总统特朗普拒绝了伊朗的相关提议，伊朗今天仍坚持其重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的条件。 据伊朗外交官阿巴斯·阿拉格希（Abbas Araghchi）透露，伊朗的方案要求停止中东地区，包括黎巴嫩的所有敌对行动，并落实数月前破裂的停火协议中的各项条件。 阿拉格希表示，伊方“看到了美国总统的初步反应，但迄今为止，调解方尚未向我们传达任何信息”。…