“One person now dies every 10 minutes in LA County of COVID-19,” said Los Angeles County Director of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer, in a statement, “and as many of these deaths are preventable, our collective focus it must be doing the right thing to save lives. ”
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health press release on Thursday, there are about 6,500 people hospitalized with Covid-19 in the county, 20% of whom are in intensive care units – a pandemic spike. . In the last week alone, the department said, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has increased by more than 1,600.
“I hope each of us will find the strength and courage to take responsibility for each other’s well-being,” said Ferrer, urging Southern California to follow public health guidelines, such as staying at home and wearing a mask when you’re in public. “These are the only tools that will work now.”
Across the state, there were 351 deaths reported Thursday – the third highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day – bringing the death toll in California to 23,635, according to public health officials.
The state registered more than 39,000 new cases on Thursday. This week, it became the first state to overcome 2 million cases of Covid-19 – “an important milestone,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.
“Hospitals are full, ICU beds are few, people are dying,” Ghaly said in a press release. “The simplest thing we can do, but also the most significant, is to stay at home. We are the first line of defense against this virus and we must act now.”