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Los Angeles County reported 86 coronavirus deaths Tuesday, a level not seen since the summer. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County reported less than 100 intensive care unit beds left to serve its 14 million residents Tuesday. For weeks, health officials had warned that when hospitals become overwhelmed, the region's coronavirus death toll will spike. And it did Tuesday.
The county reported 86 new coronavirus deaths - the highest total since the summer surge. Still, hospitalizations are climbing, and health officials don't believe they've peaked.
The new fatalities, along with seven more reported by Long Beach health officials Tuesday afternoon, lifted the overall countywide death toll to 8,438. The county also reported 11,194 newly confirmed COVID infections, while Long Beach added 898 more and Pasadena added 113. Long Beach officials said a backlog in the state's processing system from tests conducted last week contributed to the elevated daily case number.