Source: NBC Los Angeles
Read more: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... s/2934292/The number of COVID-19-positive patients in LA County hospitals has jumped past the 1,000 mark and the county has reported its highest daily number of virus-related deaths since late March.
The county Department of Public Health reported 18 COVID deaths on Friday, the largest daily number since March 30. The fatalities raised the county's virus-related death toll to 32,413.
According to state figures, there were 1,021 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Friday, up from 989 on Thursday. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 99, down from 103 a day earlier.
Hospital numbers have been steadily rising in recent months, an increase health officials have attributed to renewed rapid spread of the virus thanks to the infectious BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which authorities say are highly contagious and capable of re-infecting previous patients.