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LA County Reports ‘Fastest Acceleration Of New Cases’ Yet
Covid-19 testing underway in Crenshaw. Chava Sanchez/LAist
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L.A. County’s Department of Public Health confirmed 13,315 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, and 58 new deaths attributed to the disease. The number of daily cases continues to skyrocket.
Today’s numbers bring the total in the region to 623,670 positive cases and 8,875 deaths. To date, more than 4.37 million tests have been administered to Angelenos, and 13% have come back positive.
There are currently 5,549 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county, with 21% of those patients in intensive care. ICU space in Southern California is maxed out.
In a statement released Saturday, health officials said that “L.A. County is experiencing the fastest acceleration of new cases than at any other time during the pandemic.”
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“We are bearing witness every day to the terrible suffering caused by a virus that is spreading out of control throughout the county,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, in the same statement. “Places where people from different households gather and do not follow safety directives contributes to unnecessary COVID-19 spread that results in hospitalizations and deaths that could have been avoided.”
Officials continue to urge the public to follow basic safety measures, including staying home as much as possible, always wearing a face covering, and maintaining distance from others.
OVERALL LOOK AT LA COUNTY NUMBERS:
Here's a look at longer-term trends in the county. To see more, visit our California COVID-19 Tracker and choose L.A. County or any other California county that interests you. These numbers are current as of Sunday, Dec. 20
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