Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday reported 3,628 new cases of COVID-19 and 53 related deaths, high numbers that partly reflect delays in the state’s electronic lab system.
The total number of cases in the county now stands at 172,325, with 4,351 cumulative deaths, authorities said in a statement. There have been 446,148 confirmed cases in California, and 8,406 people have died across the state.
Most of the new positive cases in Los Angeles County occur in people under the age of 50, authorities said.
Also Saturday, authorities reported 2,016 confirmed COVID-19 patients in county hospitals, with 30% of those in intensive care. But they said those figures were incomplete because the US Department of Health and Human Services had changed reporting requirements, causing data from eight hospitals to be omitted.
As the increase in cases continues, health officials have increased their efforts to persuade people to take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including wearing masks, avoiding meetings, and adhering to social estrangement. The county has ordered the closure of indoor operations in restaurants, houses of worship, gyms, museums, hair salons, hair salons, and personal care services.
“I know that these are frustrating times and that we want life to return to normal. We want to join our friends for dinner inside a restaurant and get together with the extended family for a summer barbecue, ”said Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer. “Unfortunately, we are simply not at a point where those activities are safe.”
On Friday, Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, compared the current increase in cases in California, Texas and Florida to “three New York”, referring to the previous epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in the nation.
She said the increase has been fueled by people in their 20s and 30s who had no symptoms and were unknowingly spreading the virus.
Brix, who spoke in an interview on NBC’s “Today”“He also indicated that there may be signs that the virus is stagnating in those three states, along with Arizona, which has also seen a lot of cases.
