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LA County: 323 New Cases And 31 Deaths, Highest Single-Day Death Toll So Far
A sign on the 710 freeway Northbound reminds drivers to maintain social distancing. (Chava Sanchez/ LAist)
L.A. County saw its highest single-day jump in coronavirus deaths Sunday, although the number of newly confirmed cases has been somewhat lower than in recent days. County health officials said 31 more people have died and 323 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed.
Of the 31 newly reported deaths, 25 people were over the age of 65 and six were between the ages of 41 and 65. Sixty-five percent of those who died had underlying health conditions.
Sunday’s numbers bring county totals to 9,192 confirmed cases and 296 deaths. Of overall deaths, 83% had underlying health conditions. About 24% of those testing positive were hospitalized at some point during their illness.
The county presented statistics on the ethnic and racial backgrounds of 240 of the people who have died. The numbers show that, thus far, Latinos are underrepresented in terms of deaths compared to population size, while whites, Asians and African Americans are overrepresented:
- 33% Latino or Latina (who make up 48.6% of county residents)
- 32% white (26.1% of county residents)
- 19% Asian (15.4% of county residents)
- 14% African American (9% of county residents)
- 2% other
We should note that in other parts of the country, Latinos have been overrepresented in the COVID-19 death toll. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released data on hospitalizations showing a racial disparity in who is getting sick enough to need in-patient care. And NPR reports that preliminary data from New York City officials show the Latino community there has been hardest hit by deaths.
L.A. County officials also said that four cases they had included in earlier reports were found to not be residents of L.A. County, so the figures have been corrected.
Barbara Ferrer, the county's director of public health said in a statement.
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"As many Angelenos celebrate the Easter holiday today, I want to acknowledge those families that are grieving the loss of a loved one associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who are experiencing loss, illness, and distress today.”
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