Public health officials confirmed four new cases of coronavirus Tuesday in Santa Monica as the total number of cases in Los Angeles County reached 662.
Santa Monica's case count has grown by nine over the past two days and the county's has increased by 256. 119 individuals with the virus have been hospitalized at some point, representing about 18% of people who have tested positive, said Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Sixteen cases were reported in Santa Monica Tuesday. In neighboring Brentwood and Venice, 31 people and eight people have tested positive, respectively.
Ferrer announced Tuesday that four people have died after contracting coronavirus, bringing the county death toll to 11. One individual was under the age of 18 and the first minor in L.A. County to die from the virus. The other two were between 50 and 70.
Ferrer said 40% of coronavirus patients are between 18 and 40, 38% are between 41 and 65 and 16% are older than 65.
Officials said Tuesday there were about 2,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus in California and 50 deaths. L.A. County's population of 10 million is 25% of California's population and the number of cases in the county represent 26% of cases statewide.
As of Monday, 10% of the 4,500 people in L.A. County who have been tested have coronavirus. Ferrer said officials will continue to prioritize testing people with symptoms because the county still lacks enough tests to confirm the status of everyone who may have been exposed to the virus. She said people who have symptoms or believe they have been exposed should not wait until they are tested to self-quarantine.
County officials said Monday they had procured an additional 20,000 testing kits, which will be prioritized for medical personnel and first responders.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that California will need 50,000 additional hospital beds to serve coronavirus patients after estimating last week that the state would need only 20,000. Newsom said hospitals are preparing to increase their surge capacity to produce 30,000 new beds statewide.
Santa Monica remained shut down Tuesday following state, county and local orders for people to stay home unless they are accessing vital services or performing essential work. City Manager Rick Cole on Monday announced fines for individuals and businesses violating the stay at home orders that range from $100 to $1,000.
The county closed hiking trails and the city of Santa Monica closed beach parking lots to prevent people from congregating outdoors and spreading the virus. Playgrounds have been closed since last week but parks remain open, said city spokesperson Constance Farrell. The city has also closed its side of the Santa Monica Stairs, a popular workout spot in the North of Montana neighborhood.
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