Los Angeles County reported a record-breaking 290 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, health officials said.
There have been 10,345 total COVID-19 deaths in the county.
Someone dies of COVID-19 in L.A. County every 10 minutes, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said. All day Thursday, the department is tweeting a description of a potential COVID-19 victim every 10 minutes.
Dad. #Every10Minutes #LACounty
Please wear a face covering when outside. Slow the spread. Save a life.
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 31, 2020
Barbara Ferrer, director of the health department, warned that “hundreds more people” will die each week from COVID-19 and urged people to stay home this New Year’s Eve and throughout the weekend.
“As we see 2020 come to a close, we are experiencing extreme conditions in LA County,” Ferrer said during a briefing. “With no decline in the number of new cases, our hospitals continue to be overwhelmed.”
The county reported 15,129 new cases while 7,546 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, officials said. The daily test-positivity rate is an “alarming” 22%, Ferrer said.
The latest numbers come as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is mobilizing a “super-spreader task force” to target illegal parties.
The @LASDHQ COVID-19 “Super-Spreader” Task Force has been fully mobilized & will be conducting multiple operations tonight all over @CountyofLA. In LA County a person dies of #COVID every 10 minutes. Let’s save lives by staying home tonight!#StayHealthyAtHome#COVID19Enforcement https://t.co/9joNx5lmxc
— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) December 31, 2020
