Pasadena Reports First COVID-19 Death Since April

PASADENA, CA — City officials have renewed calls for residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus after a 65-year-old man died July 8 from the virus, marking the city’s first COVID-19 death since April 1.

The 65-year-old man was unvaccinated and had several underlying health conditions, the Pasadena Public Health Department announced Monday.

"This individual had multiple underlying health conditions, and investigations show unvaccinated household members were the likely source of exposure," officials said in a statement.

Pasadena has experienced a rise in COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated people, public health officials said. More than 99 percent of people in Los Angeles County who died or been hospitalized because of COVID-19 were unvaccinated.

“We express our condolences to anyone who has lost a loved one during this pandemic,” Pasadena Public Health Director Dr. Ying-Ying Goh said in a statement. “The recent increase in cases and predominance of the significantly more infectious delta variant are further reasons for everyone who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

The delta variant is believed to be behind the recent spike in outbreaks in the county and has become the dominant mutation in the area.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have proven effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID—19. Health officials also say the vaccines are still effective against the delta variant.

Officials said the longer a person waits to get vaccinated, the more likely they’ll contract the virus and spread it to someone else.

People not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear face masks when indoors and move any social activities to the outdoors as much as possible, Pasadena officials said. Frequent hand washing and using hand sanitizer frequently are also encouraged.

Appointments for COVID-19 vaccines can be made by visiting the Pasadena Public Health Department's Website or going to California's vaccine scheduler.