Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 57 new deaths and 411 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as the county prepares to expand vaccination eligibility to residents 16 and older on Thursday. To date, Public Health has identified 1,226,964 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 23,553 deaths countywide due to the disease, 27,515 of those cases and 298 of the fatalities in the SCV since the pandemic began. “To everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19, we are deeply sorry for your loss, and we wish you peace and comfort in this difficult time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, L.A. County Director of Public Health, in her daily update.