Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS): Los Angeles County, the most populous in the US, reported a record number of single-day coronavirus deaths for a second day in a row amid a worsening situation.

On Thursday, the county's Department of Public Health confirmed 148 additional deaths, shattering the previous record of 145 set on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

There have been 9,299 Covid-19 deaths in the county since the start of the pandemic early this year.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also confirmed 13,678 new cases on Thursday, pushing its cumulative caseload to 677,299.

There are 6,499 infected people currently hospitalised in the county, with 20 per cent in intensive care units.

Over the last week, the number of patients hospitalised has increased by more than 1,600, according to the department.

"A person now dies every 10 minutes in LA County from Covid-19 and since many of these deaths are preventable, our collective focus should be on doing right to save lives," said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

"I hope we can each find the strength and courage to take responsibility for each other's well-being. Follow the public health directives. These are the only tools that will work right now," she noted.