Another 40 people died and 1,073 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Los Angeles County, the LA County Department of Public Health announced Saturday.
The total number of confirmed cases in the county rose to 37,303 and the total deaths related to COVID-19 increased to 1,793, the department said. Underlying health conditions appear to be a factor in the deaths, as 92% of people who died had underlying health conditions, according to the Department of Public Health.
The department said information about race is available for 99% of the people who died: 39% of deaths occurred among Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 18% among Asian residents, 12% among African American residents, 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races.
As of Saturday, 16% of positive cases--5,784 people--were hospitalized at some point during their illness and 1,648 people are currently hospitalized, according the Public Health.
"Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost someone they love to COVID-19. We share in your sorrow, and wish you healing and peace,” said Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer. “As more places re-open in LA County, I want to thank all of you who have done your part to slow the spread of COVID-19. We will all need to continue to work together on this, including practicing physical distancing and wearing our cloth face coverings when we are around other people. These actions work – they protect you, they protect others, and they save lives.”
For more of a breakdown of cases, click here.
