LOS ANGELES – More than 50 new deaths from the coronavirus were reported Tuesday in Los Angeles County, along with 1,225 additional cases of the virus, as health officials again urged people to monitor themselves for an expanded list of symptoms of the illness.
To date (June 9), the Los Angeles Public Health Department has identified 65,822 positive cases and 2,707 deaths across all areas of LA County, including 842 cases and 19 deaths in Palmdale; 692 cases and 12 deaths in Lancaster; 47 cases and nine deaths in Quartz Hill; 32 cases and two deaths in Lake Los Angeles; 40 cases and no deaths in the Littlerock/Pearblossom, Juniper Hills areas; and 22 cases and no deaths in Sun Village. View the latest detailed report here.
Of the 2,512 people who died from the illness for whom ethnic data was available, 41% were Latino, 28% were white, 18% were Asian, 12% were black and 1% were Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
County health officials noted that 47 cases and four deaths that had been previously reported turned out to be people who lived outside the county, and those cases were removed from the local totals.
A total of 93% of the people who have died from the virus in the county had underlying health conditions — a percentage that has remained largely unchanged throughout the pandemic.
Of those who have tested positive, 11% have required hospitalization at some point, according to county health officials. As of Tuesday, there were 1,453 people hospitalized, and 29% of those people were in intensive-care units.
Public health officials noted that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had again expanded the list of symptoms that could be an indication of COVID-19 infection. The list now includes:
— fever or chills;
— cough;
— shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
— fatigue;
— muscle or body aches;
— headache;
— new loss of smell or taste;
— sore throat;
— congestion or runny nose; and
— nausea or vomiting.
People experiencing even mild illness were advised to contact their health provider.
County elected and health officials have expressed repeated concerns over the possibility that recent mass protests against police brutality may result in a spike in new infections, potentially putting more pressure on area hospitals.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger warned that if people are failing to take precautions when out in public — be it a protest or going to the beach — it could have consequences down the line.
“One of the questions asked to me (is) `Why are protesters allowed to go out and defy public health orders but businesses don’t get that same break?”‘ Barger said. “The reality is that this is our new norm right now. So I hope that people who are out protesting are practicing social distancing and wearing face cloths, because I don’t want to have to revisit in three weeks businesses on the cusp of opening that know if they do not open they will not ever open again.”
An interactive dashboard is available that provides comprehensive information on COVID-19 cases, along with maps and graphs showing data by city and community. To view Public Health’s COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, visit: http://dashboard.publichealth.lacounty.gov/covid19_surveillance_dashboard/
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