LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County reported 1,602 new cases of COVID-19 and 29 additional deaths today, along with another slight decrease in hospitalizations related to the coronavirus. Officials with the county’s health department said they continue to see a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, providing some reassurance that higher vaccination rates and safety precautions at Labor Day celebrations helped avert the usual increase in cases experienced after major holidays. On Sept. 15, the 7-day daily case average of COVID-19 was 1,476, the lowest it has been since July 14. Meanwhile, hospitalizations have declined 17 percent over the last week’s numbers, and after a long plateau, deaths have also declined slightly. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thresholds, transmission in Los Angeles County has moved from the “high” to the “substantial” level, with a weekly case rate of 86 new cases per 100,000 residents. “While …