Los Angeles County reports 1,784 new coronavirus cases, 11 deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,784 new cases of the coronavirus and 11 related deaths.

The county now has recorded more than 83,000 cases of the virus and over 3,120 deaths.

The continued rise in new cases came amid the first weekend of more businesses sectors reopening, as bars, card rooms and some personal care services were given the green light to resume operations Friday, provided they take certain precautions.

They include ensuring that customers practice physical distancing and wear face coverings.

“These are the actions that allow us to continue our recovery journey, and these actions will be essential to ensure that we don’t overwhelm our healthcare system and see increased numbers of deaths from COVID-19,� Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said Sunday in a statement.

The average number of daily deaths in L.A. County continues to decrease, while average daily hospitalizations have also declined slightly, according to the Department of Public Health dashboard that tracks reopening metrics.

As of Sunday, there were 1,426 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals, with 29% in intensive care and 21% on ventilators. That was a slight increase from the day before, when there were 1,406 patients.

Nearly 945,000 people had been tested for the virus and received their results, with about 8% testing positive, officials said. That rate has remained steady for the past several weeks.

Still, L.A. County continues to report high numbers of new cases each day. Officials have said that is a result of both stepped-up testing and an increase in community transmission as more establishments reopen, putting more people in contact with one another.

Orange County has also seen an increase in new coronavirus cases, reporting its highest one-day total on Saturday and then again on Sunday.