LA County Reports A Staggering 7,593 New Coronavirus Cases

LOS ANGELES, CA —Los Angeles County reported 7,593 newly confirmed cases Tuesday, shattering records set during the worst days of the pandemic. The county also reported another 46 people dead from COVID-19 Tuesday. The chilling numbers herald a holiday season marked by funerals for hundreds of Los Angeles families.

Health officials stressed that increased testing is not the cause of the spike, noting that the average daily rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus is now nearly 12%, up from 7% a week ago and about 4% a month ago.

A total of 2,316 people were reported to be hospitalized due to the virus, topping the previous peak level of 2,232 set in July. Health officials have warned over the past week that hospital numbers will continue to rise in conjunction with the increase in cases, potentially gobbling up normally available hospital space by Christmas.

County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned that although Tuesday is the worst day of the pandemic so far, things will worsen "tomorrow and the next day and the next."

"Every resident and every business needs to take immediate action if we are to dampen this alarming surge," Ferrer said in a statement. "We are in the middle of an accelerating surge in a pandemic of huge magnitude. This is not the time to skirt or debate the safety measures that protect us because we need every single person to use every tool available to stop the surge and save lives."

The dramatic spike in new cases comes just five days removed from Thanksgiving when millions traveled and gathered with family to celebrate the holiday without wearing masks and in defiance of health recommendations. Local and federal officials warned that such gatherings would likely lead to a surge in new cases, and Tuesday's grim numbers appear to bear that out. As a result of the surge, Los Angeles city officials began examining emergency plans in the event there's a shortage of hospital beds, medical professionals and personal protective equipment due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. At the current rate, the region is expected to run out of hospital beds in two to four weeks, according to city officials.

The numbers also come a day after LA County instituted stay-at-home orders and Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened more stringent shutdowns in counties with raging outbreaks. Still, the numbers may not affect a growing resistance to local stay-at-home orders.

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

A study recently released by USC found that "coronavirus fatigue" set in with most people just two months into the pandemic. As a result, wide swaths of the population began returning to their pre-pandemic habits while ignoring health orders against gathering with other households.

And now, community leaders are leading challenges to the county's health orders. This week , the Lancaster City Council scheduled a special meeting to consider a ``no-confidence'' vote in county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer and to discuss creating its own municipal health department. And on Wednesday, two prominent businessmen will lead a "March to Save Small Businesses" through Long Beach , challenging the basis for COVID-19 safety orders they say are detrimental to businesses, including the recent ban on in- person dining at restaurants.

The demonstration is organized by Ryan Choura, who runs a local event company, and Trent Bryson, CEO of Bryson Financial.

"We want accountability from elected and appointed officials in Long Beach for their decision-making, especially around COVID-19," Choura told City News Service. "We feel there are industries that are being unfairly targeted, not based on science or data — especially outdoor dining."

Choura said there should be more rationale and transparency behind the decisions being made for businesses and schools.

"What you did the first time didn't work -- what is going to work about it the second time?" he asked about the response to the recent spike in coronavirus cases.

However, Ferrer pushed back against the notion, that health orders don't work.

"Contrary to the sentiments expressed by some, many of these cases could have been prevented if individuals and businesses were following the straightforward public health measures of masking, distancing and infection control," she said Monday. "As we're all seeing, when even relatively small numbers of businesses and individuals fail to adhere to sensible precautions, many others experience the consequences of these lapses.

"We are at the most difficult moment of the pandemic. But we're aware there are many that are tired of repeated requests to sacrifice and others that are unhappy and frustrated with the latest safety modifications, particularly those modifications that have had a detrimental impact on businesses and their employees. We don't really have any choice but to use all the tools at hand to stop the surge. Until there's a vaccine, each of us needs to protect all of those around us."

Health officials encouraged residents to take action to protect their loved ones from during the outbreak. Residents who ignored health guidelines and traveled for Thanksgiving or celebrated with other households can still help curb the spread of the disease by quarantining and getting tested this week regardless of whether they have symptoms, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. PLEASE REFRESH THE SCREEN FOR UPDATES

City News Service contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch