Los Angeles County reports more than 2,000 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, June 20

Another 48 Los Angeles County residents have died due to coronavirus-related causes, officials announced Saturday, June 20, bringing the county’s death toll to 3,110.

The county also reported 2,056 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. A county statement said the high number is, “in part, due to delays in lab reporting.”

As of Saturday, there have been 81,636 cases identified in the county. The county’s Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement the growing number of cases also “reflects both high rates of testing and increased community transmission over the past few weeks.”

But she said the numbers that are more indicative of the county’s ability to manage the pandemic — hospitalizations and deaths — have remained stable.

Saturday’s numbers did not include two deaths or 48 cases reported Saturday in Long Beach, which maintains its own health department. Pasadena reported 25 new cases Sunday, for a total of 1,145, but added no new deaths to its total of 87.

“Each day, we are sad to report additional deaths from COVID-19 of people across our communities,” Ferrer said. “For all of you who are grieving, we are so sorry for your loss.”

About 93% of LA County residents who have died from the virus so far have had underlying health conditions. About 42% of those who have died so far were Latino, while 29% were white, 17% were Asian, 11% were Black, less than 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 1% identified as another race.

There were 1,406 people being treated in a hospital with COVID-19 on Saturday. About 29% of them were in the ICU and 22% were on ventilators.

Nearly 916,000 people in LA County have been tested for the virus, and about 8% of those people have tested positive.

Saturday’s news came a day after bars, nail salons and other businesses were allowed to reopen with certain restrictions intended to stem the spread of COVID-19.

As people continue to get out and about, Ferrer said, it’s important to continue maintaining the same precautions that have been recommended throughout the public-health crisis.

“Increased contact with others not in your household results in increased risk of transmission of COVID-19,” she said. “This is why it is more important than ever to do what we know slows the spread of the virus: always wear a face covering and keep 6 feet or more of distance from others not in your household, wash hands frequently, self-isolate if you’re positive for COVID-19, and quarantine if you’re a close contact of someone who tested positive.

“This,” she said, “is how we protect each other in the weeks ahead.”