Los Angeles County public health officials Tuesday reported 4,244 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 2,103 people currently hospitalized with the disease. Both numbers eclipsed the county’s previous records for single-day reports since the pandemic began.
The deaths of an additional 73 people related to the coronavirus were also logged, making Tuesday one of the county’s deadliest-ever days during the outbreak. County officials in a midday press release cautioned that daily numbers can be the result of a lag in reporting of deaths over the weekend, but it nonetheless signaled an alarming trend.
“Today’s numbers are alarming and unfortunately are the result of many businesses and individuals not adhering to the basic public health requirements of distancing and wearing face coverings,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
Statewide, the state’s average number of new cases over a 7-day period climbed to 8,382 as of Tuesday. The state reported the deaths of another 47 people on Tuesday, bringing the state’s death toll related to COVID-19 to 7,087 people. Average daily deaths over a 14-day period statewide were now 77. (LA County’s jolting Tuesday death toll will not show up in the statewide total until Wednesday.)
Tests have confirmed 336,508 cases statewide with 6,745 people currently hospitalized — more than double from a month ago and representing the most since the pandemic began.
In LA County, the total of positive cases surged to 140,307 overall, with a total of 3,894 deaths — both the highest totals among California counties.
Ferrer warned that if the spread of the coronavirus was not brought under control, the county would not be able to continue on its path to reopen the economy.
“As a community, we must slow the spread of COVID-19 to prevent an overwhelming surge of COVID-19 in our hospitals and more untimely deaths,” Ferrer said. “I urge you to wear a face covering, stay at home as much as possible, avoid close contact with people you don’t live with and wash your hands.”
Case numbers and hospitalizations were being watched especially closely this week by school district officials as the start of the school year approaches. Los Angeles Unified School District chose Monday, along with San Diego Unified School District — two of the nation’s largest — to postpone in-person instruction in favor of a distance-learning approach.
On Tuesday, Long Beach Unified School District followed suit, saying it would not open campuses until at least Oct. 5.
“This decision was a hard one to make,” Jill Baker, superintendent of Long Beach Unified School District, said in a video message posted online Tuesday, July 14. “But we have done so with input from our local and county health departments.”
Los Angeles County public health officials, along with the county’s top school official, kept the option open on Monday for the county’s 80 independent school districts to start teaching in the classroom as long as they follow renewed guidance, also issued Monday.
“The virus currently rages on in our community,” Ferrer said on Monday. “We’ll need to continue to do our best to protect our children, our teachers and the many important people who make school function and who educate our children.”
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom hit Los Angeles and other counties with a major rollback of economic reopening, closing down again additional indoor venues in 30 counties on the state’s watch list. Among the types of places that were forced to shut down Monday were churches, fitness centers, malls, personal care services, hair salons, barber shops and non-critical office space.
A corresponding state directive required all restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment, zoos, museums and card rooms to shut down indoor operations everywhere in the state. In L.A. County, a similar order was already in place and businesses were already scurrying to adjust — or face fines and possible shutdowns.
Daily numbers in L.A. County Tuesday did not include updated numbers from Long Beach and Pasadena, which operates their own health departments. Long Beach reported two more residents had died, bringing the total to 151, and 233 new coronavirus cases, for a total of 5,849. Pasadena reported 36 new cases (1,580 total) and one new death (101 total).
Staff writer Ryan Carter contributed to this report.
