Coronavirus cases in San Bernardino County surpass 1,000

Coronavirus COVID-19 Testing Montclair San Bernardino County Specimen Collection
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health employees work at a drive-through cornonavirus testing site. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

San Bernardino County health officials confirmed 36 new cases of the coronavirus Thursday, bringing the county's total to at least 1,032, the sixth highest in the state.

The county also reported eight more deaths linked to the virus, bringing the toll to 47.

To date, eight of the 53 counties that have COVID-19 patients in California have surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases. In most instances, individuals who have recovered from infection are included in the case logs. San Bernardino County, like several larger counties, including Los Angeles, does not currently track recoveries.

The number of confirmed cases in San Bernardino County has continued to grow as testing capacity has increased throughout the state. Officials announced that several drive-through testing events will take place over the coming weeks in an effort to accommodate a larger swath of people.

Roughly 2 million residents live throughout San Bernardino County's 20,000 square miles, making it the largest county in the continental U.S. At least 11,191 residents have been tested for COVID-19. According to county data, 9.2% have tested positive.

The largest group who has tested positive for the virus are ages 18 to 49. Roughly 28% are 50 to 64, and 23% were 65 or older. At least 22 cases have been reported in youths under 17.

Most cases in the county have been confirmed in the cities of San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands and Ontario.