LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported its highest daily amount of new coronavirus cases and deaths since the pandemic, but county health officials attributed a large portion to a backlog that started last Thursday and went through Sunday from the state’s electronic lab system.
County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that more than 2,000 cases of the 4,825 new coronavirus cases reported Wednesday were a result of the backlog. The new cases lifted the countywide total since the start of the pandemic to 183,383.
The county also reported 91 additional deaths, once again breaking a new record for the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day. Ferrer said that some of the deaths were due to the backlog, but didn't provide specific details or numbers.
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This brings the total number of deaths in the county to 4,516.
Of the newly reported deaths, 31 were individuals over the age of 80, 24 of which had underlying health conditions. Twenty-seven individuals were between the ages of 65 and 79, 22 of which had underlying health conditions. Seventeen individuals who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, 14 of which had underlying health conditions. Seven people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, six of which had underlying health conditions. Three deaths occurred in residents between the ages of 18 and 29, two of which had underlying health conditions. The data on the remaining cases was not immediately available.
The state of California broke its daily death record on Tuesday, with 174 new deaths.
Ferrer noted that the county has confirmed more than 13,000 cases among children aged 17 and younger, and while hospitalizations among children have been relatively low throughout the pandemic, there has been a recent increase, particularly among those aged 12-17.
"It's a very small number of children overall ... (but) hospitalizations among children of all ages has been increasing since April," she said.
"As a reminder to our young people, they do need to abide by the public health directives that are in place," Ferrer said. "They need to wear their face coverings. They shouldn't really be gathering with people they don't live with, and they should avoid all crowded places. I know it's a difficult sacrifice, especially for our children and for our teens who are desperate to spend time with their friends."
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Dr. Barbara Ferrer provides update on county’s response to COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on children
Los Angeles County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer provided an update on the county's response to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday as well as provided detailed information about its impact on children and the plan for the upcoming school year.
"I also know that the only way for us to get back on track with recovery is to adopt behaviors that has us remaining right now with members of our households as much as possible. And even if you don't feel sick, you could be infected and pass the virus on to someone who's vulnerable -- your parents or your grandparents, somebody with an underlying health condition, and they could become devastatingly ill."
Despite the large numbers of cases and deaths reported Wednesday, health officials offered a generally positive portrayal of key statistics, with the county's seven-day average positivity rate holding around 8.5%, and new hospital admissions leveling off, albeit at a higher levels than ideal.
Hospitalizations have been an area of concern in recent weeks, with the number topping 2,200 in Los Angeles County for five consecutive days last week, the highest levels of the pandemic. On Monday, county health officials reported 2,017 patients were hospitalized with the virus, that number rose slightly to 2,045 people hospitalized by Wednesday.
Officials said it's important that people who think they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 24 hours after symptoms and fever subside. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.
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The county on Monday opened three new COVID-19 testing sites in the "high-need areas" of Montebello, South Gate and Panorama City. By the end of the week, these additional sites will have the capacity to test almost 2,000 residents a day, five days a week, according to the county's Emergency Operations Center.
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CDC expands list of high-risk conditions for COVID-19 complications
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made revisions to its list of underlying medical conditions that put people at a higher risk of severe complications from the novel coronavirus.
In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the list of symptoms of the virus. Congestion or runny nose, nausea, and diarrhea were added, joining the federal agency's list that already included fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell and sore throat.
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Anyone who experiences these symptoms should call their healthcare provider or local public health department first before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.
On June 18, the California Department of Public Health issued new guidelines mandating face coverings in most situations while indoors, but also outside when a person cannot maintain six feet of social distance.
RELATED: California governor orders people to wear masks in most indoor spaces
There are exemptions that include children age two and younger because of the risk of suffocation, and for people with a variety of medical or psychological issues that make mask-wearing a hazard.
The use of face coverings is believed to help slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus, without knowing it, from transmitting it to others.
The face coverings can be made at home from common materials at low cost, and the CDC has instructions on how to make them listed on its website.
Public Health continues to remind the public that while a majority of those who have died from COVID-19 in the county had underlying health conditions, not everyone does. Residents are urged to continue to take the necessary precautions in order to protect themselves from the virus.
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Why social distancing can save lives amid COVID-19 pandemic
In LA County, approximately 92% of all residents who died from the virus had underlying health conditions. Ferrer said this emphasizes the county's need to protect those with underlying health conditions and urges those residents to stay at home as much as possible.
She said this includes, but is not limited to, individuals with asthma, those who have had cancer, anyone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and anyone who is immune-compromised.
"If you're part of one of these groups, you need to take every precaution imaginable to protect yourself from COVID-19," said Ferrer.
Health officials say that social distancing remains our best defense against the virus, and all residents are instructed to abide by current measures in place across the state. Social distancing is not only about preventing the illness itself, but rather, slowing the rate at which people get sick.
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The county's health department says that because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of widespread transmission, everyone should always wear a face-covering securely over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in their household when out and about.
Health officials say coronavirus infections are being spread by people who have no clear symptoms. In early April, the CDC changed how it was defining risk of infection for Americans, saying anyone may be a considered a carrier, whether they have symptoms or not.
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Public Health says that the best protection against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing and wear a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household.
Click here for a list of locations of confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County.
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CNS contributed to this report.