LA becomes the first county to reach more than 1 million COVID-19 cases

LA becomes the first county to reach more than 1 million COVID-19 cases

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Los Angeles County has recorded more than 1 million coronavirus infections, making it the first US county to reach the dismal milestone.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 1,003,923 cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic and a total of 13,741 deaths.

Earlier this week, the county estimated that 1 in 3 residents has contracted the disease since the start of the pandemic, meaning that at least 3 million residents may have been infected.

The department also confirmed the first case of the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19, which was first discovered in the UK, in a man who spent time in the county and traveled to Oregon, where he is quarantined.

Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, said in a statement that the variant’s presence is “worrying”, adding that “our health system is already severely overburdened with more than 7,500 people currently hospitalized.”

“Our community is suffering from the winter wave, facing a large number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, five times more than in the summer,” said Ferrer. “This more contagious variant makes it easier to spread infections in the workplace, in stores and in our homes.”

“We are in the middle of a public health emergency, so please do everything you can to protect yourself and those you love,” continued Ferrer.

The gloomy milestone comes as California continues to lead the nation in coronavirus infections. The state reported 2.9 million cumulative cases on Saturday, and a total of 23,960 dead.

Texas and Florida follow California in the highest cumulative cases with 2 million and 1.5 million cases, respectively, according to NBC News. New York comes after these states with 1.2 million cases.

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