By Kathryn Dunn | editor@claremont-courier.com

Claremont has its first case of coronavirus, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department said in its latest press briefing Tuesday afternoon. Public health said three new deaths and 128 new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were identified since yesterday.

“One individual was a youth under the age of 18, and two other individuals were between 50 and 70 years old,” the department said of the three recent deaths.

One of the individuals who died was a resident of West Adams between the ages of 50 and 70 years old and had underlying health conditions. The other is from a location that the county is still investigating. The individual under the age of 18 resided in Lancaster. The circumstances related to the death of this minor reamin under investigation, the county said.

“Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality. Patient privacy prevents our offering further details at this time,” the county said.

Over the last 48 hours there have been 256 new cases, the county said, bringing the county total to 662 cases, including 11 deaths so far. As of Tuesday, 119 positive cases have been hospitalized.

Previous deaths of individuals testing positive for coronavirus include residents of Culver City, Miracle Mile, Del Rey, Long Beach and Glendale, who were all older than 65 with underlying health conditions; a man in his 30’s with underlying health conditions from an unincorporated area outside of Pasadena; and a woman in her 60s with underlying health issues who was visiting family in Walnut; a person between the age of 30 to 50 from an undisclosed location.

Age groups testing positive in LA County are 10 under the age of 17; 268 people aged 18 to 40 years old; 250 people from age 41 to 65; and 107 people over the age of 65 years.

No additional information on Claremont’s first case was given by the county but other nearby cities with residents testing positive are two people in the city of La Verne, one from San Dimas. San Bernardino County has reported a total of 31 cases.  

The county public health department said it is investigating all new cases and will notify close contacts who are “household members, intimate partners and healthcare professionals to assess and monitor them for signs and symptoms of illness. All confirmed cases are being isolated and close contacts are quarantined,” the county related. 

If you are healthy but must conduct essential business in the community—like going to the grocery store, bank or doctor’s office—as ordered by the state, practice social distancing by keeping six feet away from other people. County officials say that if you aren’t feeling well you should self-quarantine for seven to 14 days and not leave your home at all.

For now, businesses deemed “essential” by the state and county remain open, including restaurants for take out orders, banks, gas stations and convenience stories. Even so, the state and county urge residents to stay home to the greatest extent possible.

 [This story was edited to better clarify the stay home order from the county and state. —KD]