LA County's COVID hospitalizations surge past 900
The number of people hospitalized in Los Angeles County hospitals surged past 900 Wednesday after climbing by nearly 100 people since Saturday.
According to the latest state data, there are currently 920 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals. Of those hospitalized, 89 are in intensive care units.
In April, the county's total number of hospitalizations dropped to 209. Since then, it has been steadily increasing as cases grew.
Many of the patients were admitted for other reasons before testing positive for COVID, but health officials say they still place an added burden on hospital staff because they require special care.
Meanwhile Tuesday, L.A. County health officials reported 2,945 new COVID-19 cases and 10 additional deaths.
The new cases brought the county's total caseload to 3,143,536 and the death toll to 32,371.
The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus continued to rise, reaching 14.9%.
On Tuesday, the city of Malibu announced that masks are again required inside Malibu City Hall due to surging cases among city staff.