LA County Reports 3,600 New COVID-19 Cases, 18 Deaths
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday reported 3,600 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 18 new deaths, bringing countywide totals to 294,065 cases and 6,956 deaths.
Health officials said the number of reported new cases includes an estimated 2,000 backlog cases due to technical issues with the state's data reporting systems. Officials also said they expected to receive additional backlog test results over the next few days.
Of the new deaths reported, six people were over the age of 80, 10 were between the ages of 65 and 79, one was between the ages of 50 and 64 and one was between the ages of 30 and 49. Sixteen people had underlying health conditions.
Of those who have died from COVID-19 in L.A. County, 93% had underlying health conditions. The majority of deaths, 52%, occurred among Latinx residents, with 23% among white residents, 14% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.
Health officials also announced that a revised public health order would be released Friday detailing the timing for additional openings, including the reopening of additional personal care services indoors with modifications, the percentage of high-need students allowed for in-person learning, outdoor operations at go-carts, mini-golf and batting cages and modifying requirements for breweries/wineries.
The department also continued to urge residents to get tested for COVID-19 and continue to wear face coverings outside of the home and practice social distancing.
"When we look at the widespread transmission occurring in L.A. County, we know that many people who become positive for COVID-19 are unaware they were exposed to an infected person," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said. "I asked that you keep this in mind when you are out and about.
"There is no certainty that people you're interacting with or are in close proximity to at a gathering are not infected," she continued. "We do know with certainty that when people don't protect themselves and others — by wearing a face covering, washing hands often, and at least staying six feet from others — this virus can quickly spread with devastating effects."
As of Thursday, there were 777 people with COVID-19 hospitalized, 29% of whom were being treated in intensive care units. With testing results available for nearly 2,937,000 people, the county's overall positivity rate was holding steady at 9%.
