Coronavirus: California passes 11,000 deaths amid declining hospitalizations

California passed 11,000 COVID-19 deaths on Friday as the virus’s deathly toll in the state continues to grow at a nearly record-high pace, even as hospitalizations declined in the state.

Counties reported 151 new COVID-19 fatalities Friday, bringing the state’s total to 11,149 deaths. The new fatalities were slightly higher than the state’s seven-day average the previous day of 139 daily fatalities, which is down slightly from a peak seven-day average of 145 daily fatalities set on August 6. California reached that grim new milestone just over a week after passing 10,000 fatalities on August 6, with the virus on track to be the third-leading cause of death in the state after only heart disease and cancer, compared to 2018 mortality data.

The state, which had been experiencing a steady decline in new cases that may have been partly due to delays in data reporting, also recorded 10,404 new cases on Friday. The state now has a seven-day average of 9,132 new daily cases. The state had a peak seven-day average of 9,856 set on July 12.

Los Angeles County reported the most new deaths on Friday, 43, followed by Orange County with 20 deaths and Kern County with 17 deaths. That was followed by San Joaquin, Fresno and Stanislaus counties, part of the virus’ move to the rural, agricultural parts of the state where it has hard-hit California’s Latinx population. Latinx residents 18 and older make up 36.3 percent of California’s population, as well as 47.3 percent of COVID-19 deaths and 57.5 percent of cases in that age group.

Alameda County reported the most new deaths in the Bay Area, with four fatalities bringing the total in the county to 216. It also reported 126 new cases, for a total of 14,225, the most of any county in the Bay Area. Contra Costa County reported two deaths and 379 new cases for a total of 151 fatalities and 10,482 cases. Santa Clara County reported one new death and 281 cases for a total of 208 fatalities 13,340 cases.

San Francisco reported no new deaths and 110 cases for a total of 67 fatalities and 7,944 cases. San Mateo County, which likewise reported no new deaths, had 105 new cases for a total of 122 deaths and 6,640 cases.

The number of patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 declined by 0.9 percent on Thursday, to 6,364. That’s been declining since late July, with the number of patients hospitalized with possible or confirmed coronavirus infections being as high as 8,820 on July 21. The number of patients in intensive care unit beds with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 ticked up by about 1.3 percent, to 1,850, down from more than 2,200 ICU patients in late July.

The seven-day average testing positivity rate in the state was 6.5 percent on Thursday, slightly higher than the 14-day average of 6.2 percent.

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Author: Leonardo Castañeda

EastBayTimes