Daily cases of coronavirus in California triple as pandemic worsens



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The average daily number of coronavirus cases in California has tripled over the past month, a Times analysis found, as pandemic conditions deteriorated significantly in the state.

The coronavirus is now infecting more Californians every day than at any other time during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about a new spike in coronavirus-related deaths by Christmas.

California averaged more than 11,500 new coronavirus cases per day on Saturday night over the past seven days, more than triple the number a month earlier on October 21, which was nearly 3,200, according to a Times analysis. .

Even during the summer surge, which led to the season with the worst COVID-19 death toll in California, the average daily number of coronavirus cases over a seven-day period has never exceeded 10,000.

COVID-19-related hospitalizations doubled last month, according to the analysis. And deaths from COVID-19 have suddenly started to increase in recent days. In the past week, an average of 65 California deaths were reported daily, an increase of over 50% from two weeks ago, when 43 deaths were reported daily on average.

The rate at which Californians test positive for the coronavirus increased dramatically over the past week – a disturbing indication of the rapid spread of the highly contagious virus. On Saturday, the coronavirus positivity rate reached 6.1%, double the percentage it was on November 1, when the rate was 2.98%.

On Saturday, the counties of San Diego and San Bernardino both recorded their highest single-day coronavirus case totals in pandemic history, according to health officials.

Los Angeles County is now on the verge of taking a grim milestone that would require the closure of outdoor restaurant dining rooms as early as this week. According to a Times analysis, on Saturday night, LA County was averaging 3,907 cases per day over the past five days, about double the number just two weeks ago.

Saturday continued a disturbing trend of the number of daily cases exceeding 4,000. On Saturday, 4,387 coronavirus cases were reported, according to an independent Times tally of coronavirus cases; Friday 4,158 were reported; and Thursday, 4,943 were counted, a one-day record.

While LA County records an average of 4,000 cases per day over a five-day period, officials said they plan to require dining halls at outdoor restaurants to close, which would limit restaurants to serving only take out and delivery food for the first time since May. Officials said they plan to give three days’ notice before such a new health order becomes effective.

And if LA County had an average of 4,500 cases per day over a five-day period, officials have warned they will impose a spring-style home stay order.

Daily deaths are also starting to increase in LA County. On Saturday, an average of 23 Los Angeles County residents would die from COVID-19 daily in the previous seven days; that’s double the figure at the start of November, when around 11 people died every day.

There are a number of reasons for the surge in coronavirus cases in California, where an outbreak began in late October.

They include colder weather, which encourages people to stay indoors; increased travel from other hard-hit states; gatherings to watch the NBA Finals and the World Series, won by the Lakers and Dodgers respectively; Halloween; events and celebrations related to the election; a general increase in social gatherings; an increase in outbreaks in the workplace; a premature feeling that the danger of the pandemic had passed; and fatigue and even resentment for continuing with COVID-19 safety precautions, according to state and local health officials.

Cumulatively, California has recorded 1.1 million coronavirus cases and more than 18,700 deaths. Nationally, more than 12 million cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed and more than 255,000 people in the United States have died.

Federal, state and local authorities are urging people to stay home for Thanksgiving and abandon Thanksgiving travel plans, whether it’s a plane flight across the country or a crossing of the city, to avoid spreading the virus during celebrations. The virus can be transmitted by people who appear to be perfectly healthy and never get sick.

A travel advisory issued by California in mid-November implored residents to avoid non-essential out-of-state travel and asks those arriving from out-of-state to self-quarantine for 14 days, which means they should stay at home or in other accommodation as much as possible. during this period and order food by delivery.

LA County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer urged students living on campus not to go home just for the Thanksgiving vacation. Students who end up going home for a month or more, she said, should be quarantined in separate rooms as much as possible for a period of 14 days. If they have not yet returned home, she has informed that it is too late for them to participate in joint Thanksgiving celebrations, which risks spreading the virus to the rest of family and friends.

Officials say it’s safer to keep Thanksgiving celebrations only among household members. For people who intend to invite others outside their household to gatherings, a state health ordinance states that these gatherings in most areas of the state must be held outside. , the host and the guests not from more than three households, persons from different households. kept six feet apart, and everyone asked to wear masks when not eating or drinking. In LA County, these gatherings are limited to a maximum of 15 people.

COVID-19 has already killed more than double the number of people in LA County than the flu in the last cold and flu season. “This should serve as a stern demonstration of how much COVID-19 is much more dangerous than the flu,” LA County health official Dr. Muntu Davis said Thursday.

Last week, Los Angeles County issued an advisory urging people to stay home as much as possible for the next two to three weeks. A new health ordinance went into effect on Friday that ordered non-essential businesses and restaurants with outdoor dining areas to close to the public between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. although take out and delivery services may continue during these night hours.

California’s new limited stay-at-home ordinance took effect on Saturday in counties with the most restrictive COVID-19 level, which covers 94% of California’s population. It aims to be much less intrusive than the statewide stay-at-home command implemented in the spring and designed to curb late-night drinking and group gatherings, where inhibitions are lowered. , the masks are removed and the virus can easily be spread.

The ordinance prohibits any gathering between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. between people from different households and all non-essential activities outside the home with people from other households.

The order allows people to leave their homes overnight to shop for groceries, pick up take-out food, walk the dog, and work for essential businesses, which includes working for take-out restaurants and deliveries.

Experts say similar government-ordered limits on nighttime activities in Europe have helped curb coronavirus outbreaks in that country.

The surge in cases has been seen statewide. Here’s a region-by-region analysis among selected counties in the most populous areas of California on Saturday night. A more detailed analysis of all 58 counties in California is available on the Times California Coronavirus Tracking website.

Southern california


San Diego County: More than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, nearly quadruple the figure from a month ago. As of Saturday, 1,478 cases of coronavirus were reported, the highest number recorded in a single day so far in the pandemic in San Diego County.

Orange County: About 650 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, about quadruple the figure from six weeks ago. As of Friday, 1,169 cases were reported, the highest figure in a single day since early July.

Riverside County: More than 600 cases of the coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, about double the figure from a month ago.

San Bernardino County: More than 1,460 new cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days. That figure is six times worse than the rate about a month ago, when San Bernardino County averaged more than 235 cases of coronavirus per day over a seven-day period. On Saturday, 2,873 cases of the coronavirus were recorded, the highest number ever recorded in a single day in the pandemic in San Bernardino County.

Ventura County: More than 220 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, about quadruple the figure from a month ago. More than 400 new infections were reported on Friday.

Bay area

San Francisco: More than 115 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, quadruple the figure from mid-October. 210 cases were reported as of Friday, the third-highest single-day tally so far in the pandemic and the worst since July.

Santa Clara County: More than 340 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, triple the rate from a month ago. Nearly 400 cases were reported on Friday, the fourth worst day-long total of the pandemic and the worst since August.

Alameda County: More than 230 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, about triple the rate from a month ago.

Against Costa County: Almost 200 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, about triple the rate from a month ago.

San Mateo County: More than 100 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, more than double the rate since early November.

Central valley

Sacramento County: More than 430 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, more than triple the rate at the start of November.

Fresno County: More than 275 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, more than double the rate from two weeks ago.

County of Kern: More than 260 cases of coronavirus have been reported daily on average over the past seven days, more than quadruple the rate from six weeks ago.



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