Los Angeles County saw an average of 40 coronavirus deaths a day over the past week, the highest rate in nearly 10 months, a sign that the productive Omicron variant may be more deadly than many initially thought.
The county’s daily COVID-19 death rate has doubled in just one week, officials said. According to a Times analysis, the last time average daily deaths were so high for the seven-day period ending March 28, 2021.
The daily death toll in the county has risen dramatically in recent days. On Tuesday, 15 deaths were reported; Wednesday, 39; Thursday, 45; Friday, 48; Saturday, 66, the highest number in more than nine months; and Sunday 53.
“As deaths often lag behind the rise in cases and hospitalizations, the rise in deaths unfortunately does not come as a surprise, and tragically, we are prepared for an even higher number of deaths in the coming weeks,” said LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
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