State nears 50,000 deaths
California accounted for about 7% of all COVID-19 casualties last year; now, about one in every 10 in US
Five hundred candles lined the steps outside the White House on Monday, one marking every thousand American life lost to COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic nearly a year ago. About one in every 10 belonged to California, where the death toll inched closer to 50,000 on the same day the country crossed the morbid milestone of 500,000 coronavirus fatalities.
With 229 deaths reported Monday, according to data compiled by this news organization, California’s cumulative death toll increased to 49,569, including an average of 350 per day over the past week. Although that is nearly 40% fewer than its peak almost a month ago, COVID-19 still killing twice as many Californians than any time prior to December, or any other state currently.
When December began, Californians accounted for about 7% of all Americans to have died from COVID-19. Nearly three months later, almost on the other side of the state’s winter wave, Californians now account for about one in every 10 American deaths. More than 60% of California’s coronavirus fatalities have come since the start of December, and nearly half since the new year began.
More often than not, though, California’s milestones are becoming positive ones in its bat
tle against the virus. Although the state is closing in on 50,000 deaths, virus transmission is diminishing rapidly, with a corresponding drop off in hospitalizations close behind. On Sunday, the state recorded its fewest cases in over a hundred days. On Monday, it came close to matching that low, even with a full accounting of counties that didn’t issue updates over the weekend.
In total Monday, there were 3,823 new cases reported around California, its lowest weekday tally since the third week of October. At approximately 6,530 per day over the past week, California has cut its average case load in half in the past two weeks and by 85% from its peak about six weeks ago.
Over the weekend, California’s active hospitalizations from COVID-19 fell below 7,000 — its previous summertime high — for the first time since the week after Thanksgiving, a span of 85 days with more COVID-positive patients hospitalized than any other previous of the pandemic. On Sunday, the number of intensive-care patients dropped below 2,000 for the first time since the final day of November. With 6,569 active hospitalizations as of Sunday, according to state health data, there are 70% fewer Californians hospitalized than at the height of the winter wave last month and 42% fewer than two weeks ago.
The progress made across the state could result in the first significant movement in its reopening tiers since the surge began. An update to the determinative metrics, including adjusted case rate, is expected later Tuesday afternoon. San Francisco and Alameda counties have reduced their respective per-capita case rates below 10 per 100,000 residents, according to data compiled by this news organization, but they must fall below 7 per 100,000 in adjusted case rate, a state metric that accounts for high rates of testing.
Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties are also within reach of the red reopening tier with per-capita case rates over the past week of 12 or below per 100,000 residents; every county in the region but Solano has fallen below the 14 per 100,000 threshold.
On Monday, the Bay Area region accounted for only about 7% of the deaths in California — led by seven in Santa Clara County, five in San Mateo County and four in Sonoma County — despite making up about 20% of the state’s population. Over the course of the pandemic, the region has accounted for about 11% of all coronavirus deaths in California, about half its share of the population.
Southern California, as defined under the regional stay-at-home order, has tallied more than 70% of the COVID-19 deaths in California, despite being home to just under 60% of its population. No county in the nation has tallied more fatalities than in Los Angeles, where the death toll has climbed to more than 19,900 — 40% of California’s coronavirus fatalities with about 25% of its population.
On Monday, though, LA County, which is also home to more people than any other county in the nation, tallied fewer than a thousand new cases for the first time since Oct. 26 (though county health said there could still be delays from the weekend). With 19 new deaths Monday, LA County also reported its fewest fatalities since the final day of November.
Deaths have fallen faster in LA County than the statewide pace, down 52% from an all-time high last month, compared to 38% statewide. The county, which was once averaging 15,000 cases per day, has reduced its average case load below 2,000.