Los Angeles: First US Country to Top 1 Million COVID-19 Cases

The Los Angeles County has became the first country in the United States to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases, since the onset of the pandemic, said health officials.

The most populous county in the country, home to 10 million //residents, on Saturday reported 14,669 new confirmed cases and 253 additional fatalities, pushing its cumulative infection tally to 1,003,923, while the death toll stood at 13,741, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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There are 7,597 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalised in the county with 22 per cent of them in intensive care, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Department as saying in a statement.

The Department also confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus strain, which was first discovered in the UK.

The individual found to have contracted the virus is a male, who recently spent time in Los Angeles County but has travelled to Oregon, where he is currently in quarantine.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

The more contagious variant has been previously detected in Southern California's San Diego and San Bernardino.

"Presence of the UK variant in Los Angeles County means virus transmission can happen more easily and residents must more diligently follow the safety measures put in place to prevent additional cases, hospitalizations, and deaths," officials noted in the statement.

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"Our community is bearing the brunt of the winter surge, experiencing huge numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, five times what we experienced over the summer. This more contagious variant makes it easier for infections to spread at worksites, at stores, and in our homes," she added.

Source-IANS

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