Los Angeles County reports 1,155 new coronavirus cases, 46 additional deaths

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported 1,155 new coronavirus cases and 46 additional deaths, bringing the totals to 58,234 cases and 2,489 deaths.

Thirty-four people who died were over the age of 65 years old; six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Twelve people were reported to have underlying health conditions including 11 people over the age of 65 years old and one person between the ages of 41 to 65 years old. The information on the remaining deaths was not immediately available.

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department lists the race and ethnicity data associated with COVID-19 deaths on its website.

Approximately 92% of all county residents who died from the virus had underlying health conditions. County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara 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.

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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.

According to Public Health, 6,680 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 at some point required hospitalization during their battle with the illness. There are 1,422 individuals currently hospitalized in the county with the virus, Ferrer said.

Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 646,000 individuals and 8% of those people testing positive.

While LA County officials have not released data on the number of COVID-19 patients that have recovered from the virus within the county, John's Hopkins University reports that more than 463,000 patients have recovered nationwide.

Public Health said in a statement that it "joins the many voices expressing dismay, anger, and frustration at the murder of George Floyd by police, and supports the need for LA County residents to stand together against racism and violence."

However, health officials wanted to remind protesters that we are in the midst of a pandemic and urged residents to wear a face-covering securely over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household.

Why social distancing can save lives amid COVID-19 pandemic

Social distancing is not only about preventing the illness itself, but rather, slowing the rate at which people get sick. 

"Protestors who have had close contact with non-household members not wearing face coverings, should when possible, self-quarantine at their residence for 14 days and monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. If they develop symptoms, they should call their healthcare provider and consider testing," Public Health stated.

Public Health continues to stress to 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.

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.

On April 3, the CDC announced that it would be recommending people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

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.

This comes as more evidence is emerging that 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.

In accordance with new guidelines from the CDC, Public Health said that anyone who begins to experience symptoms must contact those they were in contact with up to 48 hours prior to having symptoms in order for them to self-isolate.

According to the CDC, symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell. 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.

Click here for a list of locations of confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County.

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