Los Angeles County officials on Wednesday reported the highest single daily case count on coronavirus infections not connected with a backlog since late August.
The county confirmed 1,843 new cases and 22 additional COVID-19 deaths.
The projected transmission rate has again surpassed 1.0 in L.A. County. That means the number of people who could contract the virus from one infected person is likely rising.
“I thank all of our businesses, schools and residents who continue to make COVID-19 safety measures part of their daily routine,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the continued significant increase in cases reflects many instances where basic prevention measures were lacking. Unless we can all get back to protecting each other, our recovery will stall.”
It’s estimated that 1 in 670 residents are currently infected with the virus, the county’s Health Services Department reported Wednesday. Last week, that estimate was 1 in 1,000.
On Monday, officials reported that the county’s seven-day average increased from about 940 new cases a day in early October to more than 1,275 as of last week.
Officials have said that private gatherings are greatly contributing to the state’s increase in cases.
The growing numbers in L.A. County come as the coronavirus continues to surge to staggering heights nationwide.
Daily new confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. have risen 45% over the past two weeks, to a record seven-day average of 86,352, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths are also on the rise, up 15% to an average of 846 deaths every day.
Collectively, the country reported roughly 103,000 new cases on Wednesday, the most in any one day to date, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Daily new case loads topped 1,000 in 34 states — also a record, according to the latest project data — and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients peaked in 16 states, including many in the Midwest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
