COVID-19 claims youngest victim in Los Angeles as county sees near-record number of deaths in single day
The county calls the child’s death a 'stark reminder that the virus can cause devastating outcomes among those most vulnerable'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LOS ANGELES--A 15-month-old died from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday as the county is dealing with a surge of infections and a near-record number of deaths.
Fox 11 Los Angeles reported that there were an additional 90 new fatalities, bringing the pandemic’s death toll in the county to 28,630.
Healthcare worker go car to car at a drive-through COVID19 testing facility established by Total Testing Solutions in Boyle Heights on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The county called the child’s death-- the youngest recorded in the system-- a "stark reminder that the virus can cause devastating outcomes among those most vulnerable, including young children not yet eligible for vaccinations."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times that she sent her "heartfelt condolences" to the family.
Students return to campus at Olive Vista Middle School on the first day back following the winter break amid a dramatic surge in Covid-19 cases across Los Angeles County on January 11, 2022 in Sylmar, California. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
The local Fox report said there were 4,534 COVID patients hospitalized in the county on Wednesday, which was a slight decrease from 4,554 a day earlier. The report said there were 780 patients in ICUs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Los Angeles Unified School District recently tightened its mask-wearing requirement for students in school, mandating that they wear upgraded surgical-grade or N95-type masks, rather than cloth ones. The report said the district has also extended through February its mandated weekly testing for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.