US has worst day yet, with more Covid-19 cases and deaths than at any stage of the pandemic

Los Angeles County reported an additional 7,854 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, breaking the record for the most new cases since the start of the pandemic for the second time in a week. That brings the total number of cases in the county to 421,881.

Health officials also reported that 2,572 people had been hospitalized with coronavirus in LA County, surpassing yesterday’s record of 2,439. If the hospitalization rate continues on its current track, the county’s health system could soon be overwhelmed, officials warned.

County health officials reported 44 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the number of people who have died from Covid-19 to 7,345.

While there are currently 1,119 beds available in the county’s intensive care units, officials have warned that the intensive care unit’s bed capacity is expected to drop below 15% at some point next week. Exceeding that threshold will result in stricter stay-at-home orders, as Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed out on Thursday afternoon.

“A continuous increase in cases and hospitalizations is not sustainable because, as hospitalizations increase sharply, the health care system can become overwhelmed,” the county health department said in a press release.

Los Angeles recently imposed a curfew and closed all restaurants in person to reduce transmission of the virus. Some companies that fail to comply with public health orders by closing their doors or limiting their capacity in accordance with public health guidelines are now receiving citations, the county said.