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Los Angeles County Reports 318 New Coronavirus Deaths -- The Highest Daily Number During The Pandemic

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Los Angeles County reported 318 new coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, setting a record during the pandemic.

The grim milestone comes on the one-year anniversary of the first L.A. County health alert about the coronavirus.

Vaccines are now being distributed to all three tiers of the first phase, which includes frontline workers, and staff and patients of long-term care facilities.

Still, health officials say they anticipate hospitalizations and deaths to remain high throughout the months as people trickle into hospitals following possibly catching the virus during holiday gatherings, despite warnings.

L.A. County also reported on Friday another 18,313 confirmed coronavirus infections, putting the county at 889,405 cumulative cases and 11,863 deaths.

According to state officials, there were 7,966 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in L.A. County of Friday, a slight decline from Thursday.  The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care rose to 1,714.

The resources listed below can provide information about the pandemic and best practices for staying safe:

For information about how to get a free coronavirus test in L.A. County, visit https://corona-virus.la/covid-19-testing.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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