Grim stats on COVID-19 continue to climb in Kern as deaths exceed 400

Kern County reached another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday as deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 400.

The Kern County Public Health

Services

Department reported nine new virus-related deaths, bringing the total to 406. Another 56 new virus cases were also reported, bringing the total to 33,145 cases in Kern since early March.

Many of the newly reported deaths date from as far back as late June and July, which is when deaths hit their peak locally. The numbers bring into focus what was a deadly summer for COVID-19 patients in Kern County. August was the deadliest month so far with 147 deaths followed by July when 123 people died.

Kern County Public Health Services spokeswoman Michelle Corson said the county does not classify a death as a COVID-19 death until staff can confirm the death certificate includes COVID-19 as a cause. Death certifications also take longer when the person died out of county, Corson said. For example, a COVID-19 patient may have been transferred to a hospital in Los Angeles County and died there.

According to the most recent data available on deaths, 61 percent of Kern’s virus deaths were among people who were Hispanic followed by 21 percent who were white. Almost 60 percent of the deaths were male, 67 percent were age 65 or older and 97 percent had underlying medical issues.

In sheer numbers, Kern ranks 10th among counties in the state for COVID-19 deaths and sixth in number of cases. On a per capita basis, Kern County ranks 10th for deaths. Kern is the 11th largest county in the state on a population basis.