The numbers of new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are nosediving in Los Angeles County, welcome news following a catastrophic winter wave that pummeled the region.

However, officials stress that the county is far from out of the woods. Though those figures have tumbled in recent weeks, they remain well above their pre-surge levels — and are still too high for the county to unlock additional sectors of its battered economy or to provide the long-term relief hospitals desperately need.

And the final, most devastating consequence of the pandemic — the number of people losing their battle with the disease — remains high.

About 201 Angelenos, on average, have died from COVID-19 each day over the last week.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.