A troubling case surge in the state
New cases triple in a month as more are infected each day than ever before
Virus is infecting more Californians daily than at any previous point in the pandemic.
SAN FRANCISCO — New daily coronavirus cases in California have tripled in the last month, a Times analysis has found, as pandemic conditions deteriorated dramatically around the state.
The coronavirus is now infecting more Californians daily than at any previous point in the COVID- 19 pandemic, raising concerns about a new peak in related deaths by Christmas.
California averaged more than 11,500 new cases a day in the sevenday period that ended Saturday. This is more than triple the number Oct. 21, which was nearly 3,200, according to a Times analysis.
Even during the summertime surge, which led to the season with California’s worst COVID- 19 death toll so far, the average daily number of coronavirus cases over a sevenday period never exceeded 10,000.
Meanwhile, COVID- 19 hospitalizations have doubled in the last month, the analysis found. And deaths have begun to climb in recent days.
In the last week, an average of 65 COVID- 19 deaths were reported daily in California, up more than 50% from two weeks ago, when an average of 43 were reported daily.
The rate at which coronavirus tests in California are coming back positive was also up dramatically in the last week — a troubling indication of the rapid spread of the highly contagious virus.
On Saturday, the state’s coronavirus positivity rate hit 6.1%; on Nov. 1, it was 2.98%.
On Saturday, San Diego and San Bernardino counties both recorded their highest single- day case totals of the pandemic, according to health officials.
Officials in Los Angeles County on Sunday ordered outdoor restaurant dining areas to shut down for at least three weeks, starting Wednesday at 10 p. m.
The order means eateries can serve food only for takeout and delivery, a restriction that hasn’t been in place since May.
“New COVID- 19 cases remain at alarming levels, and the number of people hospitalized continue to increase,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement.
On Sunday, officials said Los Angeles County had averaged more than 4,000 cases a day over the previous f ive days — more than double the number of just two weeks ago. Officials had previously warned that exceeding 4,000 would force authorities to close outdoor dining at restaurants.
Should L. A. County average 4,500 daily cases over a f ive- day period, officials have warned, they will impose a stay- at- home order similar to the one they put in place in the spring.
Deaths are also starting to climb in L. A. County.
In the seven- day period that ended Saturday, an average of 23 COVID- 19 deaths were reported daily in the county; that’s double the figure from early November, when an average of 11 people were dying each day.
There are a number of reasons for the increase in coronavirus cases in California, where a surge began in late October, state and local health officials say.
Among the factors they point to are colder weather, which encourages people to stay indoors; increased travel to California from harderhit states; a general increase in social gatherings, including those to watch the NBA Finals and the World Series; Halloween; protests and celebrations related to the presidential election; and an increase in workplace outbreaks. They also say residents might have the premature sense that the danger of the pandemic has passed and might be feeling fatigue with and even resentment toward COVID- 19 safety precautions.
Gatherings are of particular concern. Though outdoor events are less risky than indoor ones, they can still have super- spreading consequences, especially if people do not wear masks and do not stay six feet apart.
A White House Rose Garden ceremony in September to introduce Amy Coney Barrett as President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court resulted in several infections, despite taking place outdoors.
Cumulatively, California has recorded 1.1 million co
ronavirus cases and more than 18,700 deaths. Nationally, more than 12 million coronavirus infections have been reported, and more than 256,000 people have died.
Federal, state and local authorities are urging people to stay home for Thanksgiving and abandon travel plans, whether it be a crosscountry f light or a drive across town, to avoid spreading the coronavirus, which can be transmitted by people who seem perfectly healthy and never fall sick.
A travel advisory issued by California in mid- November implored residents to avoid nonessential out- ofstate travel and asked those who arrive from outside the state to quarantine for 14 days, meaning they should stay at home or other lodging as much as possible and have food and essentials delivered.
Los Angeles County’s director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, urged college students living on campus not to go home just for the Thanksgiving holiday. Students who do return home for a month or more, she said, should quarantine in separate rooms for a 14- day period. If they haven’t yet traveled home, she advised, it is now too late to partake in communal Thanksgiving celebrations.
Officials say it’s safest to keep Thanksgiving celebrations among members of one household.
For people who do intend
to invite people from outside the household, such gatherings must be held outside, according to a health order in effect for most areas of the state, with the hosts and guests coming from no more than three households, people from different households kept six feet apart and everyone wearing masks when not eating or drinking.
In Los Angeles County, such gatherings are capped at 15 people.
COVID- 19 has already killed more than twice as many people in L. A. County than died of the f lu in the last cold- and- f lu season.
“This should serve as a severe demonstration of how much more dangerous COVID- 19 is than the f lu,” L. A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said Thursday.
Last week, L. A. County issued an advisory urging people to stay home as much as possible for the next two to three weeks. On Friday, a new health order went into effect that ordered nonessential businesses to shut their doors to the public between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m.; takeout and delivery services may continue during those overnight hours.
On Saturday, California’s new limited overnight stayat- home order went into effect in counties in the most restrictive COVID- 19 tier, which covers 94% of the state’s population. This is aimed at being less intrusive than the statewide stay- athome order implemented in
the spring and is designed to curb late- night drinking and group gatherings, where inhibitions are lowered, masks are removed, and the virus can easily spread.
The order prohibits all gatherings between 10 p. m. and 5 a. m. among members of different households and all nonessential activities outside the home with people from other households.
The order does allow people to leave their homes during the overnight hours to go grocery shopping, pick up takeout food, walk the dog and work for essential businesses, which includes working for restaurants that are serving food for takeout and delivery.
Experts say similar government- ordered limits on late- night activity in Europe helped drive down surges in the coronavirus there.
The increase in cases has been seen across California. Here is an analysis by region among selected counties in the state’s most populated areas as of Saturday night. More detailed analysis for all 58 counties can be found on The Times’ California coronavirus tracker website.
Southern California
San Diego County: More than 1,000 new coronavirus cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, nearly quadruple the figure from a month ago. On Saturday, 1,478 cases were reported, the highest number in San Diego County of any single day
thus far in the pandemic.
Orange County: About 650 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, roughly quadruple the figure from six weeks ago. On Friday, 1,169 cases were reported, the highest single- day figure since early July.
Riverside County: More than 600 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, about double the f igure from a month ago.
San Bernardino County: More than 1,460 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days. That f igure is six times worse than the rate roughly a month ago, when San Bernardino County averaged more than 235 cases daily over a seven- day period. On Saturday, 2,873 cases were recorded, the highest number in San Bernardino County of any single day thus far in the pandemic.
Ventura County: More than 220 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, roughly quadruple the f igure from a month ago. More than 400 new infections were reported Friday.
Bay Area
San Francisco: More than 115 new coronavirus cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, quadruple the f igure from mid- October. On Friday, 210 cases were reported, the third- highest single- day tally so far in the pandemic and the worst since July.
Santa Clara County: More than 340 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, triple the rate from a month ago. On Friday, nearly 400 cases were reported, the fourth- worst single- day total of the pandemic and the worst since August.
Alameda County: More than 230 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, roughly triple the rate from a month ago.
Contra Costa County: Nearly 200 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, roughly triple the rate from a month ago.
San Mateo County: More than 100 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, more than double the rate from the beginning of November.
Central Valley
Sacramento County: More than 430 new coronavirus cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, more than triple the rate from the beginning of November.
Fresno County: More than 275 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, more than double the rate from two weeks ago.
Kern County: More than 260 new cases were reported daily on average over the last seven days, more than quadruple the rate from six weeks ago.