LA county reports zero COVID-19 deaths on Sunday

Los Angeles County reported no new COVID-19 deaths on Sunday, a marker of progress for a county that has been hit hard by the virus.

Officials cautioned to the Los Angeles Times that the figure could be an undercount because of reporting delays on weekends. But even if the figure is not exactly zero, it reflects how deaths have dropped significantly in the county amid the rollout of vaccines.

The county is now averaging 25 COVID-19 deaths per day, according to a New York Times tracker, down from almost 250 per day in January.

The county drew national attention in December and January for its surge of the virus and the stress on its hospitals, including a directive to ambulance crews not to transport some patients with a low chance of survival to hospitals.

There are also some positive signs nationally, and as vaccinations progress, experts expect a more marked improvement.

New cases per day have been ticking down, falling below 50,000, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

As more of the vulnerable are vaccinated, deaths have fallen sharply since January, though have leveled off at about 600 per day.

Los Angeles County has about 40 percent of adults fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, in line with national numbers.