LOS ANGELES – The number of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County crossed the 75,000 mark Tuesday, while more than 30 additional fatalities were reported, pushing the countywide death toll to nearly 3,000.
To date (June 16), the Los Angeles Public Health Department has identified 959 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths in Palmdale; 783 cases and 13 deaths in Lancaster; 48 cases and 10 deaths in Quartz Hill; 33 cases and two deaths in Lake Los Angeles; 46 cases and no deaths in the Littlerock/Pearblossom, Juniper Hills areas; and 26 cases and no deaths in Sun Village. View the latest detailed report here.
Of the 2,748 people who died for which ethnic data was available, 42% were Latino, 28% were white, 17% were Asian, 11% were Black and less than 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
A total of 1,288 people were hospitalized due to the virus as of Tuesday, and 31% of those people were in intensive-care units.
Roughly half of the coronavirus deaths in the county have occurred among residents of skilled nursing facilities, a fact that has been a cause of concern throughout the pandemic, prompting increases in testing and a ban on visitors at such facilities.
On Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, sent a letter to county Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, asking for an update on the county’s testing program at nursing homes.
“I would like to request an update on the county’s outbreak as well as to offer my full assistance in helping address any issues that are preventing the county from safely reopening with adequate testing and other health measures in place,” Feinstein wrote.
As of Tuesday, nearly 841,000 people have been tested for the virus in the county, with about 8% testing positive.
County officials again urged residents to continue taking precautions when they venture out in public, including wearing face coverings and maintaining a six-foot distance from others. They also advised business owners to ensure they are meeting all health requirements before reopening.
Barger said the county is trying to strike a balance between public safety and the need for businesses to reopen and put people back to work.
“So it’s a constant balancing act, for sure, and there’s no perfect science,” Barger said. “But I know in L.A. County we want it to be both industry and public health driving that narrative moving forward, and we’ve done it in a very slow, deliberative fashion to make sure that we are, again, balancing the public health needs with getting people back to work.”
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