Public Health Officials Confirm 16 New Cases Of Coronavirus In LA County

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Public health officials Sunday have confirmed 16 new cases of the coronavirus for Los Angeles County.

Of those, officials say three cases were exposed during recent travel; two were healthcare workers exposed in a healthcare setting; and four had close contact with a confirmed case. For the remaining cases, the origin of exposure is under investigation.

Officials stressed that social distancing remained the most effective tool to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"We anticipate more cases and increased community spread as more testing occurs," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Los Angeles County Public Health Director. "We are asking everyone to expect more social distancing requirements as more cases are identified. Please do not call 911 to request testing for COVID-19 and please do not go to our emergency rooms unless you are seriously ill and require emergency care. If you have respiratory illness and want to know if you should be tested for COVID-19, it is best to call your health care provider or, if you don't have a provider, call 2-1-1 for help finding a clinician near you. Our healthcare providers are prepared to see more cases, but we must all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in order to minimize strain on our healthcare system and other service providers."