LA County sees 10-month high in COVID death rate
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County saw an average of 40 coronavirus deaths a day over the past week, the highest such rate in nearly 10 months, a sign that the prolific omicron variant may be deadlier than many initially believed.
The county’s daily COVID-19 death rate has doubled in just a week, officials said. According to a Los Angeles Times analysis, the last time average daily deaths has been this high was for the seven-day period that ended on March 28, 2021.
The daily death tally in the county has climbed 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 surges in
