Culver City Observer -

Experiencing the same surge as its neighbors, Culver City recorded a sharp uptick in the rate of coronavirus infection, the County Health Department has announced.

As of press time Wednesday, the number of local residents with Covid-19 rose to 299 cases, a 50% increase in the past month. Deaths related to coronavirus totaled 27 in Culver City.

According to Public Health officials, 66 cases of Covid-19 and 12 deaths were reported at Marina Pointe Healthcare and Subacute, 5 cases and 1 death at Anchor Retirement Homes and 11 confirmed cases at the Culver City Police Department.

County-wide, the total infected now stands at 164,870 with 4213 deaths. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. On Wednesday, Public Health Department reported 3266 cases of the coronavirus and 64 deaths.

Health officials said that coronavirus is on track to become the second leading cause of death in Los Angeles County after coronary heart disease. For additional comparison, influenza killed roughly 1500 people during the 2019 flu season from October to May

"The flu is a dangerous virus but it's nowhere near as deadly as Covid-19," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "A lax attitude to coronavirus can be deadly for someone you love. Please be caring of those around you – wear a face covering maintain physical distancing and practice hand hygiene. It can save lives."

The rate of infection in Culver City stands at 750 per 100,000 population. But it's much lower than the 100K levels at some neighboring cities, including Beverly Hills at 1498, Inglewood at 1497 and the City of Los Angeles 1662.