Health officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed another 56 deaths due to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, said of the 56 deaths, 41 people were over the age of 65 years old, nine people who died were between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and two people who died were between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. At least 42 people had underlying health conditions - including 34 people over the age of 65 years old, six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and two people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.
Additionally, two more deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and two deaths by the City of Pasadena, both cities have their own separate health department from the county.
Dr. Ferrer also reported 1,541 more cases of coronavirus, lifting the countywide total to 22,485. Today's high number of confirmed cases is due to a lag in reporting confirmed cases from over the weekend as well as an increase of testing at institutional settings, such as nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. It's the single highest number of new cases reported since the pandemic began, health officials say.
“To all of you who are facing a future without loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19, we are deeply sorry for your loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “In Los Angeles County, we have many residents that are at very high risk for becoming infected with COVID-19 and becoming seriously ill from the virus, and this is reflected in our case numbers, the number of people who are hospitalized, and the number of people who have died from COVID-19. We continue to prioritize the need for more intensive efforts to expand testing, treatment, and prevention strategies for these residents."
The number of confirmed cases around Southern California include:
- Los Angeles County: 22,485 cases - 1,056 deaths
- Orange County: 2,151 cases - 42 deaths
- Riverside County: 3,735 cases - 141 deaths
- Ventura County: 508 cases - 17 deaths
- San Bernardino County: 1,827 cases - 85 deaths
- San Diego County: 3,314 cases - 118 deaths
Statewide, there are more than 46,507 cases with at least 1,875 deaths reported. According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 1,028,487 cases nationwide with the death toll reaching 59,446 by Wednesday afternoon.