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More Than 27K Confirmed Coronavirus Cases In LA County; Deaths Top 1,300

By Ryan Fonseca
Published May 5, 2020 2:03 PM
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Los Angeles County officials reported 1,638 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today, bringing the total to at least 27,815 cases countywide. In total, 768 cases have been reported in Long Beach and 452 in Pasadena (those two cities operate their own health departments).

L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that the high number of new cases is due to a "lag in data" over the weekend.

Ferrer also reported 58 new deaths of COVID-19 patients. The total number of deaths countywide now stands at 1,313.

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Of the 58 people who’ve died in the past 24 hours, 43 were over 65 and, of those victims, 38 had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said. Ten victims were between 41 and 65 and seven of them had underlying health conditions. One victim was between 18 and 40. So far, 93% of those who have died had underlying health conditions, Ferrer said.

Ferrer also provided a racial breakdown of the confirmed deaths, based on information confirmed for the majority of the victims. According to the latest available information:

  • 13% African American [9% of county residents]
  • 19% Asian [15.4% of county residents]
  • 38% Latino / Latina [48.6% of county residents]
  • 29% White [26.1% of county residents]
  • 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander [0.4% of county residents]
  • 1% identified as belonging to a different race or ethnicity
Ferrer took a moment to note the higher death rates among certain minority populations in the county:
“... when we present the information by percentages it often masks the fact that, if we looked at actual mortality rates, our African American and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander neighbors and families are dying at a much higher rate than all others in L.A. County, and we continue to need to work together to reduce this gap, immediately.”

The death toll at institutional facilities in L.A. County — particularly at nursing homes — continues to climb. Ferrer reported that 647 residents at those facilities have died. That number represents 49% of all deaths countywide.

As the county begins to loosen some restrictions and move toward recovery, Ferrer said health officials will be closely monitoring the mortality and hospitalization rates and tracking both "by age, poverty level, race, and ethnicity." She added:

"We'll need to make sure that people who are at greatest risk of serious illness are able to easily access testing, so another measure for us is looking at who is getting tested, not just the fact that we are doing a lot of testing. Protecting the people who are most vulnerable is paramount through the reopening process, and we all have to do our part to make sure that we're protecting each other."

Here are some other key figures being reported today:
  • More than 182,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 and had their results reported to county health officials. Of those tests, 13% have been positive.
  • There are currently 1,779 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those individuals, 30% are in the ICU, with 19% on ventilators.
  • In total 5,081 people who've tested positive for coronavirus in L.A. County have "at some point" been hospitalized, Ferrer said, which represents about 19% of all positive cases.
  • The county health department is currently investigating 316 institutional facilities where there's at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. Those sites include nursing homes, assisted living facilities, shelters, treatment centers, supportive living, and correctional facilities. Ferrer said there are 6,521 confirmed cases in those facilities — 4,044 residents and 2,477 staff members.
  • Ferrer said 199 cases have been confirmed among L.A. County residents struggling with homelessness — 109 of whom were sheltered. Health officials are currently investigating 16 shelter sites with confirmed cases.
  • There have now been 270 confirmed cases “at some point in time” in county jail facilities, Ferrer reported. In total, 180 inmates and 90 staff members have tested positive.
  • Twelve staff members at juvenile detention facilities have tested positive.
  • There are 145 confirmed cases in the state prison system — 106 inmates and 37 staff.
  • In federal prisons, 527 inmates and eight staff members have tested positive.

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