More than 530 Californians now die every day from COVID-19, pushing several counties past new, grim milestones.
Just this week, Santa Clara County and Sacramento County each reported their 1,000th cumulative COVID-19 death, while San Diego County reported its 2,000th.
And Los Angeles County, which has long been the center of the coronavirus outbreak in California, officially surpassed 13,000 pandemic-related deaths on Thursday – a death toll greater than all nine states.
“When we ask our residents to stay home and follow the rules and businesses to follow the instructions of the health officer, it is to stop the loss of life of COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health in LA County, said in a statement. “This disease is currently in full swing, and we continue to plead with residents, businesses and the government, the community to do everything possible to stop the spread.”
More than 6,300 Californians have died from COVID-19 since New Year’s Day, a total of two weeks in which about 20% of the 32,300 deaths are related to coronavirus.
According to data compiled by The Times, the country with the largest population in the union is now the second highest COVID-19 mortality rate. Overall, California still has the 13th lowest mortality rate among states when it adjusts for the population – with about 83 deaths per coronavirus per 100,000 population.
However, this figure reflects how fast the death toll has risen recently.
During the past week, an average of 534 residents die every day from COVID-19, a rate that has risen by 84% from two weeks ago and is the highest seen in the pandemic.
On Thursday alone, local health law in California reported 637 deaths – the third-highest one-day count to date. The three highest death rates in one day have been reported in the past week.
Among the recent deaths was a 19-year-old man in San Diego County who, according to local officials, was their youngest resident who still died from COVID-19 complications.
“We understand that the pandemic has plagued the community, but today’s report is a reminder that we must do everything in our power to protect each other and slow down the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, public health officer, said statement Thursday.
Dr. Sara Cody, health official and director of public health in Santa Clara County, says achieving 1,000 total deaths is “a devastating and tragic milestone for our community.”
“We mourn every lost life, and our goal is to save as many lives as possible,” she said in a statement. ‘The harsh reality is that COVID-19 is still very widespread in our country and throughout the country. Although we have all sacrificed for almost a year to fight this virus, prevent infections and return to our normal lives, we must remain vigilant, otherwise we will see more deaths and extreme challenges for our hospitals and healthcare systems. ‘
Deaths represent the cooling, but inevitable, conclusion of the crushing trajectory of COVID-19.
As more people become infected, more people will need hospitalization and eventually more will perish. The only way to prevent devastation in the line, officials say, is to initially reduce the transmission.
Although the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital across the country has stabilized slightly over the past week or so – which in some quarters is cautiously optimistic, the long-feared upsurge after the holidays may not be as severe as which was once predicted – the coronavirus remains unbridled.
California recorded about 44,000 new coronavirus cases a day in the past week, including 40,865 on Thursday.
Officials estimate that about 12% of those infected will need hospital care at some point, which means new waves of people will need professional care in the coming weeks.
‘The problem, of course, is that the numbers are already cooked. They’re done. The virus has already spread, ”said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of California Hospital Assn. ‘And we in the healthcare system cannot change the number of positive infections. All we can do is be prepared to catch those who now need acute care. ”
At the current rate, California will record its 3 millionth cumulative case of coronavirus in a few days. LA County approaches 1 million.
However, there are some signs that the situation in LA County is no longer deteriorating as dramatically as it used to be.
The average number of daily new cases nationwide pulled up from January 4 to Wednesday, averaging 15,102 per day. By Friday morning, the rate had dropped slightly to a moving average of 14,839 new cases per day.
However, it is too early to say whether this is a short time or a hopeful progress.
Given the stubborn scores, LA County officials said they are weighing potential new health orders aimed at promoting the spread of the disease.
Institutions that could face further restrictions include outdoor gyms, which are allowed to be open with a capacity of 50%, and indoor shopping malls and retail businesses, which are supposed to operate at only 20%, Eric said. Garcetti, mayor of LA, said Thursday night.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services, said Thursday there are scenarios in which it is possible to pursue additional restrictions. But, he said, any new rules should be part of a balanced overall approach.
“There are many Angelenos who do not yet have the feeling of COVID, and they are ripe to become infected and have widespread distribution in their communities,” he said. ‘I do think that focusing on the messages and complying with some of the existing restrictions, as well as an important effort to mask and reduce harm … the kind of messages I think should also break through with any additional restrictions. ‘