L.A. endured its deadliest day yet after more than 50 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported by county officials Thursday afternoon, the highest single-day total to date. That pushed the county's overall death toll to 455, with mortality rate continuing to rise to 4.2%.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the director for the county's Department of Public Health, said 88% of people who pass away from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions, and also noted that health officials are seeing a higher death rate among the black population.
“We are working with our community partners to respond to the disproportionate number of deaths among African-Americans,” Ferrer said. “This includes addressing issues related to access to testing, health services and accurate information about COVID-19.”
At least 35% of the county's death toll occurred among residents of nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities. So far, health officials have confirmed a total of 1,963 cases among instutional settings, which also include jails, prisons and shelters in addition to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.
Ferrer also reported another 399 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total countywide to 10,854. More than 70,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the county so far, with around 11% of people testing positive.
The number of confirmed cases around the Southland include:
- Los Angeles County: 10,854 cases - 455 deaths
- Orange County: 1,283 cases - 19 deaths
- Riverside County: 2,105 cases - 54 deaths
- Ventura County: 365 cases - 13 deaths
- San Bernardino County: 996 cases - 39 deaths
- San Diego County: 2,012 cases - 60 deaths
Statewide, there are more than 27,201 cases with at least 896 deaths reported. According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 604,652 cases nationwide with the death toll reaching 25,316 by Friday afternoon.