LOS ANGELES--A 15-month-old died from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday as the county is dealing with a surge of infections and a near-record number of deaths.
Fox 11 Los Angeles reported that there were an additional 90 new fatalities, bringing the pandemic’s death toll in the county to 28,630.
The county called the child’s death-- the youngest recorded in the system-- a "stark reminder that the virus can cause devastating outcomes among those most vulnerable, including young children not yet eligible for vaccinations."
Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times that she sent her "heartfelt condolences" to the family.
The local Fox report said there were 4,534 COVID patients hospitalized in the county on Wednesday, which was a slight decrease from 4,554 a day earlier. The report said there were 780 patients in ICUs.
The Los Angeles Unified School District recently tightened its mask-wearing requirement for students in school, mandating that they wear upgraded surgical-grade or N95-type masks, rather than cloth ones. The report said the district has also extended through February its mandated weekly testing for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.