Coronavirus Coverage: US Death Toll Exceeds 1,000, LA Residents Asked To Skip Essential Errands

Posted on by Dominique Noelle

Fifteen people in Los Angeles County have died in the past 24 hours from the novel coronavirus, leading to a slight uptick in the county’s mortality rate to 2.3 percent. The total number of positive cases stands at 6,360.

What We Know:

  • On Monday, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health offered the same directives as the White House coronavirus task force coordinator. “If you have enough supplies in your home, this would be the week to skip shopping altogether,” she noted during a press briefing to kick-start the week.
  • April was predicted to be the toughest month in the coronavirus pandemic for Californians and now it’s been narrowed down to the next seven days as the number of newly diagnosed positive cases continues to rise, as do the fatalities. California remains under “Safer at Home” guidelines instituted in mid-March that effectively limited all non-essential activities, errands, and entertainment. Beaches, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities have also been closed off county wide.
  • “It’s important to us that if you’re already or have underlying health conditions, you stay home except to go to medical appointments,” Ferrer explained. “Or you are putting yourself at risk for being infected and becoming seriously ill.” Ferrer urged those demographics to rely on delivery services. Those over 65 are now able to participate in the county’s meal delivery service, also announced during Monday’s briefing.
  • Last week, public health leaders across the country pivoted to guidance indicating that people could benefit from wearing masks while in public. Ferrer, for the first time, made a plea to Angelenos that “we ask that you please wear a clean cloth face covering at all times. “She was quick to point out that it does not prevent infection but for asymptomatic individuals, it can help curb the spread.”
  • During the Q&A portion of the briefing, Ferrer was asked why this week has been determined to be most crucial in the coronavirus battle. She said that numbers of positive cases remain large at north of 6,000 and could exponentially climb in coming days as they work towards a goal of testing 10,000 residents per day.

As of Monday, the state’s health department listed 2,440 COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin.

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