Los Angeles has become the first county in the country to record more than a million cases of coronavirus, health officials said.
More than 14,669 new cases were reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 1,003,923, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said.
The milestone comes as 7,597 people are currently hospitalized with the virus and have suffered at least 13,741 deaths.
“Our community is bearing the brunt of the winter hike, experiencing a large number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, five times what we experienced during the summer,” said Barbara Ferrer, who is director of the county’s Department of Public Health. .
Health officials also confirmed on Saturday their first case of the new coronavirus strain first detected in the UK.
The patient is a man who has recently spent time in the county and has now traveled to Oregon, where he is isolated.
“This more contagious variant facilitates the spread of infections in the workplace, in stores and in our homes,” Ferrer said. “We are in the midst of a public health emergency, so please do your best to protect yourself and those you love.”