LA County Reports 6,124 New Cases Of COVID-19
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A record-breaking 6,124 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by LA County Monday.
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that Los Angeles County has recorded another 6,124 cases of coronavirus, the highest number reported in the county in a single day since the pandemic started. Ferrer said the number includes 1,500 backlogged test results from Sunday, and brings the county's total to 370,636.
Another eight coronavirus-related deaths were also reported Monday, bringing the county's total to 7,446.
Currently, 1,473 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Dr. Ferrer said the county's five-day average of daily new coronavirus cases has exceeded 4,500, the benchmark they said last week would trigger a new stay-at-home order. However, she said that the new order being discussed with LA County's Board of Supervisors will not be exactly like the one issued in March.
On Sunday, the county issued a modified health order that restricts outdoor dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars. The order takes effect Wednesday.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Monday said she was against any further restrictions on restaurants, which have been devastated by the pandemic and subsequent closures.
"Businesses have made incredible sacrifices to align with safety protocols to remain open in order to pay their bills and feed their families," Barger said in a statement. She also said that a small percentage, between 10 to 15 percent of positive cases, have been the result of dining out with someone who has tested postive, but a far higher number of cases have come out of people attending private social gatherings -- more than 50%.
"Increased case counts are not coming from businesses reopening but from large gatherings where people aren't wearing masks," she said in her statement.
