LOS ANGELES – The number of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County surged past 15,000 Tuesday, while 46 more deaths were reported.
In the Antelope Valley, there were 184 reported cases in Lancaster and 248 cases in Palmdale as of 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, according to the LA County website.
As of midday, the number of deaths in the county due to COVID-19 was 663. The county’s public health director, Barbara Ferrer, announced 1,400 new cases overall, although 880 of those were due to a newly cleared backlog of earlier testing results.
The additional cases pushed the countywide total of cases to 15,140, but officials in Long Beach — which has its own health department — subsequently announced 13 additional cases, raising the county total to 15,153.
Of the 663 people who have died, ethnic/race data was available for only 582 people. Of those, 36% were Latino, 28% white, 18% Asian and 16% black, continuing the trend of a disproportionate percentage of black and Asian residents dying from the illness.
A total of 269 institutional settings — including nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, shelters, jails and prisons — have had at least one case. Those institutions have accounted for a total of 2,913 cases, involving 1,692 residents and 1,221 staff members. They also account for 255 deaths, or roughly 38% of all coronavirus fatalities in the county. The “vast majority” of those deaths were in skilled nursing facilities, according to the county.
As of Tuesday, April 21, more than 89,000 people had been tested in Los Angeles County, with about 14% of them testing positive.
Responding to recent protests in other cities calling for a lifting of public-health restrictions and business closures, Ferrer and Supervisor Hilda Solis both said social-distancing measures are still needed to prevent another surge in cases.
“The weather is getting beautiful, and we share your desire to have a plan for recovery. As I mentioned last week, in order for us to be able to safely relax our Safer At Home order, we need to make sure that we do this in a way that doesn’t result in a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. And that we’re able to care for people who are sick and need health-care services.”
Ferrer said the county is working with health care facilities to prepare for possible surges in COVID-19 cases while also treating people with other health issues.
“We can’t reopen safely until we make sure we protect those that are most vulnerable,” she said.
Solis also said that summer-like weather anticipated over the next few days should not lull residents into a sense of security, saying, “Now is the time for us to continue staying at home.”
“This order remains in place to protect you,” she said.
She said county officials will be working closely with the state when it comes to decisions regarding reopening businesses and lifting stay-at-home orders. She said that “just because there are voices” calling for restrictions to be lifted, those decisions will rely on data and science.
“We know that we can’t be foolish,” she said.
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G. Patton says
Please folks, do not drink Lysol or inject UV light! Listen to Dr. Fauci, or anyone else but Trump. He’s also going to campaign using anti-China rhetoric while telling us he has a great relationship with Kim the despot. I’m a little despot, short and stout.
Loam says
Is “inject UV light” the same as “go outside”??? Trump never even mentioned Lysol. The political discord these days is getting crazy!
William says
What is yer point Loam?
Lysol is a disinfectant and the Lysol company had to put out a warning statement after Trump foolishly suggested that disinfectants could be injected to kill the virus (and the patient).
He is so incredibly ignorant and yet unwilling to let the knowledgeable people do the talking.
But, his advisors pulled him back and his pressers will be short if not eliminated.
Alby says
When he said disinfectants, did you automatically think lysol? Well if it makes people feel less ignorant, some pregnant woman have confused castrol gtx oil for castor oil.
William says
They Lysol company thought Lysol.
Are you trying to be precise when Trump is all over the map…..the map of Moscow?
William says
Good news folks. After the “drink PineSol and inject UV light into your body” debacle, Trump will not be doing those 2 hour pandemic briefings BECAUSE THEY’RE HURTING HIS POLL NUMBERS.
Sheesh, do ya think?
Trump lies. People die. His poll numbers crater.
I love how the universe provides feedback to even the most obstinate characters. I doubt, however, that Trumpist#1, Ron or Dennis will be affected. They will simply speak nonsense for him. There. Fixed.
They’ve been well trained like parrots and have similar limited vocabularies especially Ron.
Liberals win when it comes to intelligence.
Right wingers just shout louder and more often, the poor things.
Why are no deaths in the AV being reported says
Why are deaths not being reported? We had 6 people die at AV Hospital.
William says
TRUMPIST-19 “died” at some comedy club.
He will be interred forthwith by WM.
Trumpist#1 says
WM? WTF?
But would you mourn me? Miss me? Build monuments? Sing dirges? Write poems? Laugh your ass off?
My wife says that if I was any more sedate and lazy during the lockdown I’d be dead three weeks.
AVres20 says
Trump is a liar and his reckless advice and narcissistic decisions are costing thousands of lives.
“The drugs Trump has touted, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, “clearly lack scientific merit” — Rick Bright director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in a statement through his lawyers on Wednesday.
Mark says
This article would be useful if it included the areas of where the positive cases were being found. I.E. east Palmdale, west Palmdale. maybe not the exact neighborhood but a general location. Are we seeing larger numbers in a certain part of the AV? number are still not huge VS the population.
Loam says
Can’t do that – it would be actual reporting and may actually be helpful to us in understanding what is happening in our community. Instead, they regurgitate press releases from the government.
Pam says
How many institutions in AV have Coronavirus cases including prisons, nursing homes and military base?
Alby says
Whether or not this viral pandemic is true, I’m just glad that idiotic close talkers, minorities, happy fighters and scumbags are finally keeping their distance in public. Strangers are giving strangers the respect of personal space finally. No matter how many times I’d yell at idiots on black friday or other places waiting in line for anything, THEY JUST DIDN’T GET IT. They believe in bumping, pushing and grinding into one another to get through the daily hustle as if it makes the cashiers move any faster than what he/she is already going. NOW, plenty of these idiotic morons are finally getting it. They are finally getting it! Its situations like these that gives back America to the respectable individual. I welcome such measures to fight a potential virus on a yearly basis. This is almost better than the Trump Wall idea. Ive yet to use pepper spray ect because these idiot people are finally getting the message. I hope we do this again next year because certain kind of people are quick to forget. Keep America Great people.
Alexis says
Ah yes; I thought about making a hat with extensions to attach to a hula hoop to wear in public so people might get it. I would probably still get bumped into with their carts or parts of their bodies. I stay far away from black Friday crowds, or lunch crowds, or wherever crowds gather.
Alby says
Just make the hula hoop electrified and wear rubber gloves. Awesome idea though. Its worth looking like a nerd. They make this device for barking dogs to shut up at the push of a button. Well, they need to invent one specifically to make black friday shoppers back off and feel utter suicidal shame at the push of a button. But so far, Covid is policing the public better than cops never could. Im thankful for these measures being taken. Idiots are finally getting it without the use of force.
Baldonzo says
Alexis says
April 22, 2020 at 6:36 am
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!
William says
Just start speaking out loud in public Alby and people will stay away like they do the homeless who do that.
“Whether or not this viral pandemic is true, …” says way too much about you already.
It’s in Iceland for crying out loud and you’re still unsure if it’s true. I guess you’ll just have to get it to get it.
Alby says
It must be emotionally painfull not being closer than arms length to someone you are already socializing with thats not your woman. God, it must be torture not being able to sniff their neck with your hands on their shoulders. Ever consider being Joe Bidens running mate? You might just realize that you are his soulmate. Times like these make me grateful that covid is policing social distancing amongst strangers better than police ever could. This should have been ten years ago but Obama voters were too dumb to get the idea of social distancing, neither was it in their political interest too be educated on such important issue. I believe that here in the city of Iceland you can have the world as long as you are arms length away from me, but this whole six foot distance rule is like the cherry on top of the ice cream.
Baldonzo says
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alton says
We are almost there as we await a vaccine. The social distancing is a requirement for us to get past COVID-19. We all have to respect the rules and do our part to get through this. By the way, R. Kelly sees nothing wrong with a little bumping and grinding.