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LA County Sees Highest Number Of New Coronavirus Cases Since July
(Screenshot of graphic from L.A. County)
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L.A. County health officials reported 2,065 confirmed COVID-19 cases today and 25 more deaths. That’s the highest number of new cases since early July.
County Chief Science Officer Dr. Paul Simon blamed the increase in cases on “COVID fatigue,” noting that people are flouting public health guidelines getting together with friends and family outside of their household.
“I think there’s a false sense of security, that if they are around folks they know they are somehow safer than if they are around folks they don’t know,” Simon said.
“Given that many folks with infection may be asymptomatic, or at least initially when they might be most infectious, I think these gatherings can really predispose to spread of the virus,” he said.
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As we head into the holiday season, Simon noted the county recommends that people who travel quarantine for two weeks upon their return, in case they were exposed to the virus.
More than 800 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the county, another metric that has steadily ticked up since September.
Deaths have continued to decrease. Dr. Simon attributed that to health care professionals’ increased knowledge of how to treat the disease.
L.A. County remains in the state’s most restrictive purple reopening tier, largely due to its high case numbers. The county will likely remain in the purple tier for at least another four weeks, Simon said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 313,000 Angelenos have tested positive and more than 7,100 people have died from the virus.
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