Late cases push COVID-19 deaths in California past 50,000

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported 806 more coronavirus deaths during the winter wave, pushing California’s death toll to more than 50,000, or about a tenth of the U.S. total for the pandemic.

The county, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million people, said the deaths mainly occurred 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 toll the winter wave has taken so many families across the county,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of health for the Los Angeles County. in a report.

Johns Hopkins University has estimated the total death toll from COVID-19 in California at 50,890.

The grim figure comes days after the United States recorded half a million deaths.

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

The death toll has jumped precipitously amid a fall and winter wave that has started to decline as cases and hospitalizations decline. Los Angeles County reported 136 more deaths on Wednesday, accounting for nearly half of the state’s 314 more deaths.

The state began to further ease restrictions on businesses after lifting a stay-at-home order about a month ago. Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to reopen schools soon despite opposition from teachers’ unions.

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

When the state hit the 40,000 death mark on January 30, it had recorded 3,800 deaths the week before. According to state figures reported up to Tuesday, it recorded 2,370 deaths in the past week.

Due to the time lag between infection, illness, hospitalization and death, the number of deaths has declined more slowly than infections. But deaths are expected to continue to decline.

The deaths hit the poor and the Latino and Black communities particularly hard. People who hold essential jobs are more exposed to the virus and are more likely to bring it home to other people who share crowded neighborhoods.

The death rate for Latinos is 21% higher than the statewide figure and 7% higher for blacks, according to the state Department of Public Health.

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

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