L.A. County officials said Monday that the number of confirmed cases in the county has increased by 128 new cases of coronavirus, plus two additional deaths. The number of confirmed cases in L.A. County now stands at 536.
No information about the patients who died was released at this time.
According to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the head of the county's public health department, at least 42% of patients are between the ages of 18 and 40, while 80% are between the ages of 18-65. Dr. Ferrer stressed that the numbers of confirmed cases show that the virus can affect anyone of any age, even young people who haven't been practicing social distancing.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu announced today the city and county has made a deal with a South Korean firm to provide 20,000 new coronavirus tests, with the tests prioritized for first-responders and medical professionals. Seegene Technologies Inc. would provide the 20,000 tests as part of the first part of a larger contract that could see up to 100,000 tests per week in Los Angeles.
“The U.S. has fallen behind other nations in response to this pandemic,” Ryu said. “... We need to take action ourselves. Los Angeles is not going to wait around. Los Angeles is working with manufacturers around the globe.
“... This is just the beginning. There's a lot of work left to be done and everyone needs to be involved, from government to academia to private industry to meet this crisis head on.”
People who are eligible to be tested for COVID-19 include residents 65 and older, those with underlying health conditions and people who are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
"COVID-19 testing is available today provided by @LACity. We're offering testing to Angelenos at highest risk first. Please help spread the word so we can deliver much-needed tests to as many vulnerable Angelenos as possible. Learn more & sign up for a test," Mayor Garcettisaid in a tweet Monday morning.
Officials warned that an increase in testing would also likely lead to a spike in confirmed cases once those results begin trickling in.
The number of confirmed cases around the Southland include:
- Los Angeles County: 536
- Orange County: 95
- Riverside County: 43
- Ventura County: 30
- San Bernardino County: 17
- San Diego County: 201
News of the rise in cases comes as Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutnersaid today that the school district will remain closed through at least May 1. Beutner also announced a new partnership with the San Diego school district as part of a new call for a "coordinated state response" to help schools that have been affected by the ongoing pandemic.