First Young Person Under the Age of 18 Dies of Coronavirus in Los Angeles County

Ferrer did not give provide the minor’s age or share whether or not the individual had any pre-existing conditions. The press release states that the minor was a resident of Lancaster, California.

According to the Los Angeles County Public Health, there have been 662 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 11 deaths in the county as of Tuesday. Out of the confirmed cases, 10 have been minors age 17 and under, while 268 are patients ranging from 18 to 40.

The department says 119 people have been hospitalized due to coronavirus.

On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order for the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home “until further notice” to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Californians were told they should only leave their homes for essential needs, such as buying groceries, purchasing medications and attending doctor or veterinary appointments. Residents were also asked to work from home unless they provide essential services, including grocery store workers, firefighters, police officers, gas station attendants or pharmacists.

Shortly before Newsom’s announcement, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti announced his “Safer at Home” initiative, which asked the city’s residents to stay indoors except for essential travel. Guidelines on the city’s website say the order is “legally enforceable” and those who violate it “may be punished by a fine or imprisonment for doing so.”

However, public beaches across California were still filled with sunbathers and swimmers days after the orders went into effect, prompting Garcetti to tweet on Sunday, “This weekend we saw too many people packing beaches, trails and parks. So we are closing sports and recreation at @LACityParks and closing parking at city beaches. That doesn’t mean gather elsewhere. This is serious. Stay home and save lives.”

As of March 24, California has at least 2,240 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 41 deaths, according to a New York Times database.

Across the United States, there have been at least 43,499 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 537 deaths from coronavirus-related illness

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.

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