Health officials: LA County sets new record for daily coronavirus cases
New data is showing that LA County is setting new records for daily coronavirus cases, according to health officials.
Los Angeles County had a record 3,187 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic, according to health officials on Sunday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported an increase of 7,232 new cases for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday after the department took a few days off, which officials said was for "improving the data processing systems." At least 30 new deaths were also announced, which could be an undercount as reported COVID-19 fatalities are pending verification.
“We send our condolences and prayers to the families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. You continue to be in our thoughts every day,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health.
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Vendor Vivianne Robinson, wearing a mask to protect from the coronavirus, takes a photo with a pigeon perched on her hand along the Venice Beach strand, Friday, July 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Los Angeles County beaches were closed to the public for all recreational activities during the Fourth of July weekend to limit the spread of COVID-19, with fireworks displays prohibited to deter large crowds amid a recent surge of cases.
In addition to Friday, the department recorded 2,643 new cases on Thursday and 1,402 new infections on Saturday. The previous high in daily cases was 2,903 announced last Monday.
The same day, Ferrer warned the outbreak was worsening and said that new data shows "alarming increases in cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations signals that we, as a community, need to take immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19."
"Otherwise, we are quickly moving toward overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death," she added.
Gov. Gavin Newson last week also ordered the re-closing of bars, as well as indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, and family entertainment venues in 19 counties -- including Los Angeles.
"This doesn't mean restaurants are shut down," Newsom, a Democrat, said at a briefing. "It means that we're trying to take the activities, as many activities as we can -- these mixed activities, these concentrated activities — and move them outdoors, which is a way of mitigating the spread of this virus."
As of Saturday, health officials said there are 1,921 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in LA County, with 28 percent in the ICU and 18 percent on ventilators.
"As we go into the next two weeks, we will need to make sure that workplaces and retailers are protecting their employees and customers by fully implementing the safety directives in the Health Officer Order," Ferrer said.
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Los Angeles County has seen more than 114,993 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and nearly 3,500 deaths, according to data from the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report
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