State sets record for most coronavirus cases in a single day

LOS ANGELES — The coronavirus outbreak continued to worsen in California this week, with 9,500 infections recorded on Tuesday — the most new cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began — and triple-digit fatalities that sent the statewide death toll past 6,500.

California cases are on pace to double every 24.8 days, a number that is used by experts to measure how quickly the virus is spreading. As of Wednesday morning, the state had 284,138 coronavirus cases.

Over the last week, California has had an average of 7,403 new coronavirus infections and 69.6 new deaths per day, according to data from the Los Angeles Times’ tracker.

With cases continuing to climb and hospitalization numbers increasing, counties across the state have been forced to roll back business reopenings in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

San Francisco officials this week opted to delay loosening restrictions on businesses, including indoor dining at restaurants, which were scheduled to resume next week. The city previously had suspended the reopening of hair salons, zoos, museums and outdoor bars.

San Francisco County had reported 4,020 recorded cases of the coronavirus and 50 deaths as of Wednesday morning.

“We know the pause on reopening is disappointing, but we cannot risk letting the virus get out of control,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said. “We all need to do our part by wearing face coverings, keeping your distance from others, and getting tested so we can get to a place where we can safely resume reopening.”

L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said this week that people fed up with the stay-at-home order who have tried to return to a pre-pandemic way of life have contributed to the increased spread of the disease in Southern California.