Coronavirus cases falling fast at last

For the first time in more than four months, California is now reporting, on average, fewer than 3,000 cases of COVID-19 per day, according to data compiled by this news organization.

The milestone broke a monthlong plateau in reported cases following a weekend in which there were no more than 2,000 cases on either day — the state’s lowest consecutive two-day total since Memorial Day weekend. The 1,809 new cases reported Sunday lowered the daily average to about 2,940 per day, about 7.5% below where it was two weeks ago and the lowest it has been since June 14.

In Yolo County, there were 17 new cases reported Sunday night, bringing the total since the outbreak of the pandemic to 3,063, which was higher than in recent days, but still showing a downward trend.

In Woodland, there were 1,304 cases reported as of Sunday night, which was only five more than a day earlier.

There have been 56 deaths countywide since March, with 30 of those in Woodland.

Although there’s been little recent change in the number of patients hospitalized with the virus statewide, that could be attributed to increases in parts of Southern California paired with continued steady declines in the Bay Area and elsewhere.

There were 2,286 active hospitalizations in California on Friday, according to the latest data available from the state department of public health. That’s exactly three more patients than there were two weeks ago.

The daily average of deaths in California hit its lowest point on Saturday since mid-April — about 53 per day, or a total of 372 for the week — but rose slightly on Sunday to about 56 deaths per day over the past week. San Bernardino County, with 26, and Los Angeles County, with 13, were the only jurisdictions to report new deaths Sunday.

Globally, there are now more than 40 million known cases of COVID-19, with 8.1 million of those in

the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. Nationally, the death toll is already higher than any other country in the world and nearing 220,000 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins. In California, there have been more than 875,000 cases and 16,969 reported fatalities from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that Californians should not anticipate “mass availability” of a COVID-19 vaccine until 2021 — and even the governor is unsure at what point during 2021 most people can expect to have access to a vaccine.

Before that, a team of independent scientists from California will verify its safety and efficacy, Newsom announced Monday.

“When we talk vaccinations, don’t anticipate or expect that you’ll be able to go down to a pharmacy anytime this calendar year and get a vaccination,” he said. “We hope that’s the case, but based on all the evidence, all the data that we

have been provided, and the expertise we have been able to glean … it is simply unrealistic to expect.”

As one of five jurisdictions working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the logistics of distributing a vaccine, California health officials are privy to the details of the two of the most promising vaccine candidates, Newsom said.

When it’s time to review the vaccine, a Scientific Safety Review Workgroup will offer an analysis independent of the federal agencies. The group, announced Monday, is made up of 11 scientists around California and chaired by Dr. Arthur L. Reingold, the Division Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UC Berkeley.

California will not release any vaccines until the governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force independently reviews and approves them.

The task force will “review the assertions, they’ll make independent determinations of the veracity and efficacy of these immunizations and doses,” Newsom said.

Newsom estimated there would be 45 million doses available nationally by the end of the year “on the high end,” he said. Of those, California would receive 12%, or about 5 million, of the initial doses to cover the patients and workers in the state’s health care system, who will be prioritized.

Globally, there are now more than 40 million known cases of COVID-19, with 8.1 million of those in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.