Almost 2,000 homeless people died in LA during first year of pandemic, a rise of more than 50 percent

Associated Press

A surge in drug overdoses among Los Angeles County’s homeless population during the first year of the pandemic came as mental health and substance abuse treatment after services were drastically reduced to prevent the spread of the virus, officials say.

A report from LA County’s Department of Public Health showed that nearly 1,988 died between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, an increase of 56 per cent from the previous year.