Los Angeles, July 3 (RHC)-- The U.S. state of California announced a record jump of 7,418 new cases on Monday with the number in Los Angeles -- the second-biggest city in the U.S. -- exceeding more than 100,000 despite strict curbs on nightlife and a requirement to wear masks in all public areas.
"The alarming increase in cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations signals that we, as a community, need to take immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19," Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said in a statement.
"Otherwise, we are quickly moving toward overwhelming our healthcare system and seeing even more devastating illness and death."
Los Angeles is to close its beaches for the July 4th holiday weekend after reporting a record one-day rise in cases. People usually flock to the seaside during the holiday, which marks U.S. Independence Day.
Officials said it was too much of a risk allowing the beaches to remain open.