LA County sets grim milestone with 140 COVID-19 deaths in a single day

Los Angeles County reported 140 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the largest number of fatalities counted in a single day in the county as coronavirus cases continue to surge.

More than 13,000 COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday alone, according to a tally from the Los Angeles Times.

County health officials have warned health care providers not to send patients to area emergency rooms unless necessary, the newspaper reported. The officials also sent a memo to health care providers on Wednesday saying local hospitals have reached a breaking point.

“It is critical that as a healthcare community we look at all available opportunities to help decrease the surge on hospitals and our 911 system, where possible,” Sharon Balter, the county’s chief of communicable disease control and prevention, wrote in the memo, according to the Times. 

L.A. County has reported an average of 13,789 coronavirus cases per day over the last week.

Four out of five regions across California are under stay-at-home orders, and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Southern California will likely remain in lockdown beyond Dec. 28, when restrictions are currently scheduled to end. 

Health officials are urging people across the country to avoid gathering and traveling for the Christmas holiday, after many states saw spikes following the Thanksgiving holiday.