Coronavirus cases In L.A. County top 7,500; 73 in Lancaster, 65 in Palmdale

LOS ANGELES – More than two dozen new coronavirus deaths were reported in Los Angeles County Wednesday, pushing the total close to 200, while the overall number of cases topped 7,500 and the county’s health director warned that stay-at-home and other protective orders will remain in effect for weeks to come.

In the Antelope Valley, there were 73 reported cases in Lancaster and 65 cases in Palmdale as of 12 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, according to the LA County Department of Public Health website. COVID-19 has also been confirmed in residents of Acton and Lake Los Angeles as well as in residents of Sun Village, Quartz Hill and the western Antelope Valley, but the numbers are unspecified because of the communities’ small population, county officials said.

“I want to thank so many of you for settling into routines that allow you stay home safely, maintain your physical distance from others, and now you’ve adopted wearing a cloth face covering when you must be out,” public health director Barbara Ferrer said. “I know this is temporary. I know it’s going to change and we will get back to many of our normal routines, but it will take significant time. And please understand that we have weeks to go before we’re able to lift any of our health officer orders.

“And I know this is hard and that many people have made enormous sacrifices for us to get through these days together. And I also know that many people are observing our faith’s holidays and traditions right now and we must all do this while we stay home. This is not easy. Please know that what we’re doing right now is saving lives — the lives of those people who are most vulnerable, the lives of those people you love, and your life,” she said.

“We’re going to get through this together, L.A. County, and I’m grateful for all that you’re doing.”

Ferrer reported 29 new deaths in the L.A. County, although three of them had been previously reported late Tuesday by Long Beach health officials. Long Beach announced one additional death Wednesday afternoon, raising that city’s total deaths to seven.

The new deaths raised the Los Angeles County’s overall death toll to 199.

Of the new deaths reported by the county Department of Public Health, 17 people were over age 65, with 16 of them having underlying health conditions. Seven of the county’s deaths occurred in people between 18 and 40, and five of them had underlying health problems.

The new death reported by Long Beach was a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions.

Another 620 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the county on Thursday, April 8, Ferrer said, raising the overall total to 7,530.  Long Beach subsequently reported another 29 cases, raising the city’s total to 285 and the county’s overall number to 7,559. Pasadena, which also has its own health department, has reported 80 cases and three deaths.

The mortality rate among coronavirus patients in the county continued to rise slowly, reaching 2.6% on Wednesday, Ferrer said. The figure means 2.6% of the people who have tested positive for the illness in the county have died. Last week, the mortality rate was 1.8%.

The county’s coronavirus cases include 43 cases that occurred in jail settings — three inmates and 40 staff members — along with 10 cases in the state prison system — eight inmates and two staffers. Two cases have been reported in a county juvenile facility, both involving staff members at the Barry Nidorf juvenile hall in Sylmar.

Twelve cases have been confirmed among the county’s homeless population, up from two on Tuesday. Four cases have been reported in homeless shelters, involving two residents and two staff members.

Ferrer said there are now 131 institutional settings — such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, shelters, jails and prisons — that have had at least one case. Those institutions have had a total of 596 cases and 37 deaths, all among residents.

As of Tuesday, roughly 36,500 people have been tested for the virus in the county, although Ferrer noted that number is likely low, since multiple new testing sites have opened in recent days but figures have not yet been gathered from those new locations.

“When we report on the number of people who have been tested, there is a lag time. We are reporting on not only the number of people who have been tested but we’re actually reporting on the number of people for whom we have test results,” she said. “So the last few days, particularly across the county and the city of L.A., there has been a dramatic increase in testing sites and the availability of testing and our numbers will not reflect this for a few days because we won’t have those test results back yet.”

The county has set a goal of testing 10,000 people per day. With roughly 10% of those people ultimately testing positive, Ferrer has warned that the daily increases in case numbers will likely approach about 1,000.

Ferrer noted that as of Wednesday, 324 health care workers have tested positive. More than half of them work in hospitals, but other cases have occurred at outpatient facilities and emergency medical services personnel. Nurses have had the largest number of cases, but doctors, paramedics and emergency medical technicians have also tested positive. Two health care workers in the county have died from the virus.

“For me the words `thank you’ don’t really convey the gratitude I feel to all of the front-line health-care workers,” Ferrer said. “You’re heroes and we appreciate your commitment to continuing to take excellent care of all of us while we know you’re facing the impossible task of juggling care for your families while showing up every single day on the front lines.”

Ferrer also issued a warning for people serving as caregivers for the disabled, saying they need to take extra care to avoid exposing their patients.

“If they have any symptoms of illness, they should stay home and an alternate caregiver should be sent to your home,” Ferrer said. “Even if they don’t show any signs of illness, caregivers should always wear disposable gloves and a face mask, and any time when their job requires close contact with you. You need to have all surfaces wiped down frequently, particularly those surfaces that you’re both touching, and it’s a good idea to also make sure you’re wiping down any equipment regularly.”

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