More than 2,500 new coronavirus cases were reported in California on Tuesday — the highest single-day total statewide since the pandemic began — with the majority of the new infections centered in Los Angeles County, as debate continues to rage over easing statewide stay-at-home orders.

The state’s most populous county, which has been battered by the virus, reported an additional 1,638 cases Tuesday. The swell is largely due to a backlog in data reporting, according to Los Angeles County health officials. There have been nearly 28,000 confirmed infections in the county and more than 1,300 deaths.

California is poised to reach nearly 2,400 COVID-19 fatalities Wednesday and surpass 60,000 coronavirus infections statewide.

Despite the rising number of reported infections, the state has recorded its first week-over-week decline in deaths, according to a Times data analysis. Two weeks ago, California reported its highest one-week toll — 542 fatalities among people infected with the coronavirus. Last week, the weekly death toll dropped 9% to 495.

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