Los Angeles County reported 900 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday, while the number of virus-positive patients in county hospitals plummeted below 600.
The 900 new cases lifted the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,710,799. Daily case numbers released by the county are undercounts of actual virus activity in the county, due to people who use at-home tests and don’t report the results, and others who don’t test at all.
According to state figures, there were 569 COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals as of Tuesday, down from 649 on Saturday. Of those patients, 60 were being treated in intensive care units.
Another 10 virus-related deaths were reported by the county Tuesday, raising the overall death toll to 35,781. A majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, health officials have said.
The seven-day average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus in the county was 5.2% as of Tuesday.
