Coronavirus updates: Los Angeles County backtracks on teen's possible virus death

Coronavirus cases in the Bay area as reported by county public health departments. Updated: 10:30 am on April 13, 2020. Coronavirus cases in the Bay area as reported by county public health departments. Updated: 10:30 am on April 13, 2020. Photo: Andy Andersen / Blair Heagerty Photo: Andy Andersen / Blair Heagerty Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Coronavirus updates: Los Angeles County backtracks on teen's possible virus death 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

LATEST, March 24, 8:43 p.m. Los Angeles County health officials backtracked Tuesday on their announcement that a child died from coronavirus, saying it’s possible the death was caused by something else.

During their daily briefing, the county health department said the unidentified child from the city of Lancaster was among four new deaths.

Hours later, after Governor Gavin Newsom had cited the death of the teenager as evidence the virus can strike anyone, the county issued a new statement.

“Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality" and the case will need evaluation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the statement said.

The health department released no details but Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris in the Mojave Desert city told the Los Angeles Times the boy suffered septic shock, a reaction to a widespread infection that can cause dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure. Parris said the boy’s father also has coronavirus and worked in a job where he had close contact with the public.

March 24, 8 p.m. San Francisco health officials reported Tuesday evening the county's first death due to COVID-19 complications.

The patient who passed away was a man in his 40s with significant underlying health conditions.

“My condolences go out to this San Franciscan and their loved ones. It is a sad day, and we need to pull together as a City to do everything in our power to reduce the likelihood of additional deaths in our community,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said. “Each of us has the power to save lives and decrease the impact of coronavirus in San Francisco." Read the full story.

March 24, 6 p.m. At a Tuesday evening press conference, California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed a teenager died from coronavirus-related complications in the state.

"We had the tragic life of a teenager, which underscores how the virus can impact anybody," Newsom said. "We’re doing the investigation to see how it occurred."

The California Department of Public Health reported 2,102 cases of coronavirus in the state as of 3 p.m. Tuesday. Of those, Newsom said half of the cases are in patients ranging from 18 to 49 years old.

The entire state has been under a shelter-in-place order since Thursday, and Newsom encouraged young people to stay home.

"I can’t impress upon the young people enough the seriousness of the moment," he said.

"Let us not have to announce again that a teenager lost their lives because we didn’t take this moment seriously," he added near the end of the press conference.

March 24, 5:30 p.m. Public health officials in Marin County said the county now has six new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 53.

March 24, 5 p.m. San Francisco Mayor London Breed appeared on KGO Tuesday to respond to President Trump's virtual town hall meeting earlier in the day and to follow up on her message to San Francisco on Monday.

Breed reiterated that she doesn't want the city to have to close parks in the interest of public safety, but she noted that may be what needs to happen if San Franciscans don't comply with the shelter-in-place order.

"We don't want to get to a point where we have to close down everything in order to get people to comply. we know people need fresh air, they need to get out with their families they live with," she said. "But when you start adding friends and you're having meet-ups ... and you're not doing what we've asked you to do by social distancing with people who are not a part of your household, you are putting lives in danger."

Anchor Reggie Aqui also asked Breed about Trump's statement earlier Tuesday about wanting to see "packed churches" on Eater Sunday.

"My response is why are we still listening to the president?" she replied. "We've demonstrated we have to jump in and make this work without government support ... The federal government just isn't moving fast enough."

Breed also discussed working to acquire more hospital beds and supplies to ensure that city hospitals are prepared for the peak of coronavirus infections. She still, however, noted the continued importance of social distancing, saying that medical professionals need the public to mitigate the spread of the virus as much as possible, so they can be sure to have "the capacity to serve the public in a responsible way."

March 24, 3:50 p.m. Officials in Los Angeles have announced what may be the first instance of a minor under the age of 18 dying as a result of a coronavirus infection. The exact age of the minor was not given.

L.A. officials are currently working to see whether this person is the first in the United States under the age of 18 to die from the disease. The CDC's last report on coronavirus deaths, on March 18, stated that those under 18 made up zero percent of coronavirus-related fatalities in the U.S.

The numbers of minor deaths in China were also very low; according to CDC data dated March 18, the death rate among minors in the country has been 0.1%.

March 24, 3:30 p.m. Three Contra Costa County firefighters tested positive for coronavirus, county officials confirmed Tuesday. Eight in total were tested; two are still awaiting results and three received negative results. All are nevertheless self-isolating.

Those three positive cases in addition to others bring the total number of cases in Contra Costa County to 86.

March 24, 1:50 p.m. A San Francisco police sergeant in the Special Victims Unit has tested positive for coronavirus, the department announced Tuesday afternoon. According to the department, the sergeant reported feeling ill on Friday and went home sick. A coronavirus test result delivered Tuesday confirmed the officer has coronavirus.

Upon receiving the result, SFPD immediately informed the SVU department, and closed the office for deep cleaning.

The sergeant's work partner, who did not go into work on Monday or Tuesday, also reported feeling ill.

"We are saddened by the news that one of our colleagues has tested positive for COVID-19," the SFPD said in a statement. "Our work puts our sworn and non-sworn professional staff in close contact with the public every day."

March 24, 1:40 p.m. As journalists across the country report on the coronavirus, Twitter has pledged $1 million to support two journalism organizations in the United States. The donation will be split equally between the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation.

“Right now, every journalist is a COVID-19 journalist,” Vijaya Gadde, head of Twitter’s legal, policy and trust and safety team wrote in the announcement.

“From the stories of healthcare workers on the frontlines, to analysis of the real human and economic cost of the pandemic, reporters around the world are still writing, still exposing themselves to harm, still giving us the facts. Journalism is core to our service and we have a deep and enduring responsibility to protect that work.”

March 24, 1:30 p.m. A second Oakland police officer has tested positive for coronavirus, the department confirmed Tuesday. The officer, who has not been on patrol and interacting with the public, is at home in self-quarantine and recovering, Mercury News reports.

An officer who tested positive last week — the station's first case — is also recovering at home.

March 24, 12:40 p.m. Alameda County has recorded a second death due to COVID-19 on Tuesday, county officials announced. No further details on the death have yet been released to the public.

The county's total number of positive coronavirus cases is now at 124.

March 24, 12:15 p.m. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office reported its fourth case of COVID-19 within its ranks Tuesday.

Officials wrote on Twitter that the "fourth case is a deputy assigned to the Custody Bureau, who is self-isolating and under quarantine at home."

March 24, 11:45 a.m. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf appeared on KTVU Tuesday morning to respond to President Donald Trump's statement of intent to get the country open and people back to work by Easter on April 12.

"The president has exhibited such poor leadership throughout this crisis, going through Obama-blaming to now downplaying the seriousness of this crisis," Schaaf said. "It is so reprehensible that he is not giving American people the truth. And that is this is serious and by taking decisive actions now we can avoid death and suffering. If that is not the most important thing for a leader to do, I do not know what is.

"We are going to have a big economic recovery ahead of us but we need to put health before profits," she continued. "I am incredibly disappointed in this president. He is his own state of emergency."

March 24, 11:20 a.m. Santa Clara County reported three more deaths from COVID-19 complications, bringing the toll there to 16.

In addition, the county reported 54 new confirmed cases. The new results equate to 375 cases across Santa Clara County.

March 24, 11:10 a.m. In a televised town hall meeting Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump stated he wants to get the United States "opened up and just raring to go by Easter."

Trump reiterated his belief that the nation should and can safely get back to work by that date, April 12, adding, "We have to go back to work much sooner than people thought."

Trump pointed to mortality rates caused by the flu and car accidents as his reasoning. "We lose thousands and thousands of people to the flu," he said. "We don't turn the country off. We lose much more than that to automobile accidents."

March 24, 11 a.m. Seven Bay Area counties are ordering lab testing for coronavirus to report more comprehensive data.

As a result, labs in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, plus the City of Berkeley (which has its own public health department), have to report all tests to the public health departments.

"Currently, labs report only positive results, making it difficult for public health officials to know how many people are being tested overall," according to a joint statement from the counties. "The new order requires laboratories to report all positive, negative, and inconclusive results, and information that allows health officials to better locate the person tested. The more comprehensive information will improve health officials’ understanding of the rates of infection and the location of possible infection clusters."

March 24, 9:30 a.m. The San Francisco County Public Health Department reported Tuesday that 21 more residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The county total is now 152.

San Mateo County announced the county now has 161 cases, an increase of 19 infected patients.

March 24, 8:50 a.m. Santa Clara County has seen more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other county in the state.

On Monday, Santa Clara health officials reported three more deaths, bringing the county total to 13.

The county health department released some demographic data on the people who have passed away: 69% are male and 31% female; 62% had underlying health conditions and 38% didn't have any.

Here's the age breakdown:



Age 0-40: 0%

Age 41-50: 8%

Age 51-60: 15%

Age 61-70: 31%

Age 71-80: 15%

Age 81-90: 31%

Age 90+: 0%

Where cases have been confirmed in the greater Bay Area:

ALAMEDA COUNTY: 124 confirmed cases, 2 deaths*

Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.

*Number excludes infected patients in City of Berkeley, which has its own health department and 10 cases, according to Berkeleyside.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 86 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.

LAKE COUNTY: 0 confirmed cases

For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.

MARIN COUNTY: 53 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.

MONTEREY COUNTY: 20 confirmed cases

For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.

NAPA COUNTY: 2 cases

For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN BENITO COUNTY: 3 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 152 confirmed cases

For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN MATEO COUNTY: 161 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 375 confirmed cases, 16 deaths

Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 24 confirmed cases

For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.

SOLANO COUNTY: 21 confirmed cases

For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.

SONOMA COUNTY: 31 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.

In California, 51 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.