LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- While the daily infections of COVID-19 in the Los Angeles (LA) County continued decreasing, the death toll in the most populous county in the United States climbed above the 17,000-mark Tuesday.
The region registered 3,763 new cases and 205 related deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 1,124,558 and the death toll to 17,057, the LA County Department of Public Health said on Tuesday.
"The County has experienced more than 7,000 new COVID-19 deaths in a little over a month, when on December 30, Public Health reported 10,000 COVID-19 deaths. By comparison, deaths between February and October of 2020 totaled 7,000," a statement issued by the department read.
Local public health officials warned that the pandemic could easily surge again if people grow complacent and stop adhering to health restrictions, particularly with the recent reopening of more businesses and Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said in his daily briefing Tuesday that sporting events played a clear role in the surge of cases last winter, particularly in Los Angeles after the Dodgers grabbed the World Series title and the Lakers' won the NBA Finals.
That same message was echoed by Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, who said on Monday that "We do know that the surge was driven in part by gatherings with those not in your household."
"This is why we're asking that during this time of continued high rates of community transmission, and the appearance of more infectious variants, please stay home on Super Bowl Sunday," said Ferrer.
