Outstanding Cases Push California COVID-19 deaths out of the last 50,000

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles County reported another 806 coronavirus deaths during the winter rise on Wednesday, causing California’s numbers to drop by more than 50,000, or about a tenth of the U.S. total due to the pandemic.

The county, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, said the deaths occurred mainly between Dec. 3 and Feb. 3. Toll.

“It is heartbreaking to report this large number of additional deaths associated with COVID-19 and a devastating reminder of the terrible number of winter increases in many families in the county,” said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Health Director. in a statement.

Johns Hopkins University has raised the total number of COVID-19 deaths in California to 50,890.

The grim figure comes just days after the US recorded half a million deaths.

While the nation’s most populous state has the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States, it ranks 25th in the number of cases per capita due to its large population.

The death toll rose sharply amid rising autumn and winter, which began to decline as cases and hospitalizations declined. Los Angeles County reported another 136 deaths on Wednesday, accounting for nearly half of the state’s 314 additional deaths.

The state began lowering more restrictions on businesses after lifting a residence order about a month ago. Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to reopen schools soon, despite opposition from teachers’ unions.

It took 10 months for the state to hit 25,000 deaths on New Year’s Eve and less than two months for that number to double.

When the state reached the mark of 40,000 deaths on January 30, it had recorded 3,800 deaths in the previous week. In the state figures reported until Tuesday, it registered 2,370 deaths in the last week.

Due to a gap from infection to disease to hospitalization and death, the number of deaths decreased more slowly than infections. But deaths are expected to continue to fall.

Death has hit the poor, and the Latino and black communities are particularly strong. People who work with essential jobs are more exposed to the virus and are more likely to bring it home to others who share overcrowded housing.

The mortality rate for Latinos is 21% higher than at the state level and 7% higher for blacks, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Latinos comprise a large population – 39% – but 55% of cases and 46% of deaths. Blacks represent 6% of the state’s population and represent 4% of cases and 6% of deaths. Whites, in comparison, represent 37% of the population, but only 20% of cases and 32% of deaths.

Case rates are 38% higher in communities where average annual income is less than $ 40,000.