California, Los Angeles report record daily coronavirus deaths
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California and Los Angeles County reported a record number of deaths from the coronavirus Wednesday -- 197 and 91 respectively -- as the Southern California metropolis continues to be a hotspot, according to a report.
The record 4,825 new cases in L.A. County Wednesday was due in part to a backlog from last weekend, County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said, according to FOX 11.
The deaths included three people between 18 and 29, two of whom had underlying health conditions.
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California overtook New York as the state with the most cases last week and Florida, which reported a record 216 deaths Wednesday, now has the second-highest number of cases in the U.S.
"I also know that the only way for us to get back on track with recovery is to adopt behaviors that has us remaining right now with members of our households as much as possible,” Ferrer said in a coronavirus update briefing. “Even if you don't feel sick, you could be infected and pass the virus on to someone who's vulnerable -- your parents or your grandparents, somebody with an underlying health condition, and they could become devastatingly ill.”
Face masks continue to be required in California and restaurant dine-in services, gyms, and salons are restricted to outside spaces only. Movie theaters remain closed.
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In a sign of progress, the transmission rate for each person in L.A. County has lowered to less than one, down from more than three in June, The Los Angeles Times reported. Hospitalizations have continued at the same rate, FOX 11 reported.
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The state has reported a total of more than 8,900 deaths.