LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles health officials announced the first coronavirus death of a child in the county as confirmed cases continue to skyrocket across the Southland. Over the last 24 hours, Los Angeles County Public Health Department officials confirmed 128 new cases of coronavirus and another four deaths. The county now has 669 cases, including 11 where the patient died.

Officials did not release additional details about the first person under 18 to die from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. It is unclear if the youth suffered from underlying health problems.

The young person who died from the coronavirus was from the Lancaster area, according to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, head of the county Department of Public Health. She called the case "a devastating reminder that COVID-19 affects people of all ages."

She has repeatedly stressed that the number of cases in the county is likely to continue rising due to the increasing availability of testing. But she said people who are tested should assume they are positive and immediately isolate themselves and notify their close contacts so those people can also go into quarantine.

Ferrer said that of the coronavirus cases in the county, 42% are in people aged 18-40, while 39% involve people aged 41-65. As of Monday, more than 5,700 people have been tested in the county, with about 10% coming back positive.

"Social distancing is one very important tool that we use, but the second tool that we need to ask for your cooperation on is adhering to isolation and quarantine orders," she said. "Isolation is required by law for anyone positive for COVID-19 or whose clinician has told them they're likely to be positive."

Authorities announced the quarantine of eight Los Angeles Police Department officers and one civilian employee Monday who contracted the coronavirus after a sickened officer reportedly continued working while awaiting coronavirus test results, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She said it can take several days for people to get their test results, and patients should assume they are positive while they're waiting for those results.

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Garcetti also told people not to take risks with their health.

For days, health officials have been warning residents to prepare for the outbreak to spike. On Monday, officials also announced 128 additional cases despite countywide "safer at home" orders, cautioning residents to stay home and avoid gatherings. It also closed nonessential businesses. However, many Angelenos failed to heed the orders, crowding beaches and parks. The situation forced Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to announce further public area closures — including the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

"Don't mess around," he said. "This is too important."

Residents of the county and across the state are under orders to remain at home as much as possible, and engage in social distancing when they're outside the home.

The restrictions were ramped up over the weekend in response to continued large-scale gatherings of people at beaches -- most notably the Venice boardwalk -- and on hiking trails.

"Seriously people, you need to practice social distancing. I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there's no crisis. You could be carrying the virus, have no symptoms, and be responsible for the illness or worse of others," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia wrote on his Twitter page over the weekend.

The previous order prohibited gatherings of 10 or more people, but the revised wording released over the weekend prohibits "all indoor and outdoor public and private gatherings and events."

People who go out for shopping or essential jobs are required to remain at least six feet away from anyone else. Residents are still free to go outside for walks, hikes or bike rides, but not in large groups.

Saturday's enhanced order also clarified that golf courses and personal grooming services -- including hair and nail salons -- are nonessential services and are closed. The order can be found online at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/. It requires "all indoor malls and shopping centers, all swap meets and flea markets, all indoor and outdoor playgrounds and all non-essential businesses to close."

Businesses considered essential and permitted to remain open include hardware stores, repair shops, media outlets, banks, laundromats, dry-cleaners and pet supply stores.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed more emergency orders Monday related to the coronavirus outbreak, including a temporary suspension of evictions through Ellis Act proceedings, which allow landlords to sell their buildings and exit the rental market if they want.

"This step is necessary to keep tenants in their homes as we're asking them to stay home, and if you cannot pay rent, you cannot be evicted," Garcetti said, adding that not every landowner is part of a large corporation. "The money you owe won't disappear. You'll have six months to pay it back ... and everyone is struggling."

Garcetti said he also signed an order allowing restaurants and bars to deliver alcoholic beverages in the city of Los Angeles, saying he hopes the move will generate more revenue for those small businesses.

Meanwhile, the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy was expected to arrive later this week at the Port of Los Angeles, providing an extra 1,000 beds to help alleviate the shortage in Southland hospital space.

The ship and its staff will not treat patients with the coronavirus but will offer a broad range of medical and surgical support, with the exceptions of obstetrics and pediatrics, said Rear Adm. Timothy Weber, the commander of the Naval Medical Corps Pacific and director of the Medical Service Corps. The ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients admitted to shore-based hospitals and will provide a full spectrum of medical care including general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults.

The Mercy's presence will allow Los Angeles-area health professionals to focus on treating coronavirus patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their intensive care units and ventilators for those patients, Weber said.

County officials have been working to establish quarantine/isolation areas for people who either have the virus, have been exposed to it or are showing symptoms. One location has already been established at Dockweiler State Beach, where RVs have been parked to provide isolation space.

County Supervisor Hilda Solis announced Friday that the Sheraton Fairplex hotel in Pomona will become a quarantine/isolation facility beginning Monday. She said the county has negotiated a lease for the hotel's 244 rooms that will continue through May 31, with an option to extend through June.

The Pomona Fairplex is also opening a child-care center for the children of first-responders, and a drive-through food pantry will begin operating at the facility on April 1. And the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center in the Westlake district will also be used for patients with the virus.

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Garcetti also said the city will launch a portal to be rolled out in the next couple of days designed to test the most vulnerable Angelenos -- 65 and over with underlying health conditions, who are showing coronavirus symptoms.



These residents will be prioritized to be tested, and will need to be able to prove identification to get those tests.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Follow CDC's recommendations for using a facemask. CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.



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City News Service contributed to this report.