COVID Deaths in Los Angeles County for Single Day Equal to Homicide Deaths for Full Year

Jessica Schladebeck New York Daily News (MCT) The number of Los Angeles County residents killed by coronavirus in a single day has risen to the same amount of homicide deaths the city faced over the course of an entire year. “Yesterday we had 259 deaths, that’s one more than all the homicides in 2019 in L.A. city combined,” Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters during a press conference on Thursday. “In a single day, equal to a year of homicides.” The near-record number was reported on Wednesday amid a devastating spike in COVID-19 cases ripping across the region, where hospitals are strained and ambulance crews have been advised against transporting patients they cannot revive in the field. More than 8,000 people are currently hospitalized with the virus across Los Angeles County, including about 20% who are in intensive care units. By Thursday, the positivity rate in the region climbed to an estimated 20.4%, which means about 1 in every 5 residents tested are diagnosed with COVID-19. Health officials also reported another 19,719 new cases, bringing the countywide total to 871,404. Of those, more than 11,000 people have died. “We are not, nor will we ever, become accustomed to these numbers as normal. Nor will I ever accept them as something we should just live with,” the mayor added. “Because every single one of those means everything to somebody out there today. All of us need to continue to do more.””...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Coronavirus News News Feed California Source Type: news