L.A. County health officials report 5 deaths, 798 cases of coronavirus while warning of potential surge after Labor Day

Joy Aguilar cuts Cooper Vanhoose’s hair on the Venice Beach boardwalk on the first day of the Labor Day weekend amid a heatwave on Sept. 5, 2020 in Venice, Calif. Aguilar said she is offering haircuts outdoors along the beach as many hair salons remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Temperatures soared across California that day. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Sep 6, 2020 / 09:52 PM PDT

Updated: Sep 6, 2020 / 09:52 PM PDT

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Health officials on Sunday confirmed five new deaths and 798 new cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, continuing a steady decline in the region’s pandemic toll that began a month ago.

But they also noted that the low death and case counts reflected a reporting lag over the three-day weekend.

They also cautioned that new spikes in fatalities and hospitalizations could follow the Labor Day holiday if friends and families gather at crowded barbecues and parties, as they did on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

“If you have 10 guests over to your house to celebrate the holiday, you are adding risk that any of your guests could introduce the COVID-19 virus into your household,” warned the public health department.

Read the full story at LATimes.com.