Washington: The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has surpassed 160,000, updated scientific research data showed Friday.
According to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, there have been 160,100 deaths and 4.88 million cases nationwide since the start of the pandemic.
The updated figures Friday showed that there were 59,700 new cases nationally on Thursday, an increase of about 7,000 cases over Wednesday. It’s the highest single-day total so far in August.
In California, health officials say the state has now recorded more than 10,000 COVID-19 deaths and its total caseload is over 541,000, more than any other state.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County alone is over the 200,000 mark and its epicenter is concentrated in the southeast region — an area dominated by the working class Latino families.
The Times analysis said the southeastern part of the county has reported more than 27,000 new cases since June, accounting for 19%. Many area residents work in essential services jobs in the healthcare industry.
In Florida, officials said Thursday the state total has surpassed 510,000 and its death toll rose by 120. The state, however, posted its lowest percentage of positive tests in more than a month, 11.6%.
