Coronavirus updates: California’s COVID infection rate is back to pre-surge levels
California’s rate of new coronavirus infections has declined back to levels from before the surge that lasted from November through mid-January. Key metrics show spread of the virus is near its lowest point of the entire pandemic as March arrived.
The Golden State entered November averaging about 4,300 new lab-confirmed cases a day over the preceding two weeks, according to the California Department of Public Health. On Jan. 13, that rate hit an all-time high of more than 40,800 cases per day.
As of Monday’s data update from CDPH, the two-week case rate is back down to 5,200 a day.
But the state is now also performing about 200,000 tests a day, compared to a little less than 135,000 a day at the start of November, so 5,200 represents a lower share of those diagnostic test results.
California’s test positivity rate over the past two weeks is now 2.6%, more than half a point better than its reading of 3.2% to start November. The state’s record-low mark since it started keeping track is 2.5%, hovering there for a few days in mid-October.
Hospital and fatality rates are declining as well, but will take a few more weeks to decline to pre-surge levels. According to CDPH, there are now about 4,900 patients hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide, including about 1,450 requiring intensive care.
Those are both still about double the totals from late October, but less than one-quarter and one-third as high as the winter peaks of about 22,000 hospitalized and nearly 5,000 in ICUs, respectively.
Deaths have come in at a pace of 368 per day over the past two weeks, though a backlog of 806 fatalities uncovered in Los Angeles County has skewed the average. It will take some time for that average to return to mid-November levels, when CDPH was reporting only about 40 deaths per day.
To date, California has recorded nearly 3.48 million lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, and at least 52,194 Californians have died of the disease.
Latest Sacramento-area numbers
The six-county Sacramento region — Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties, which combine for a population of more than 2.5 million — has reported close to 150,000 total positive cases and at least 2,135 virus deaths over the course of the pandemic.
Sacramento County has reported 93,528 cases and 1,484 resident deaths from COVID-19. The county on Monday added 368 new cases and 12 deaths for a three-day reporting window including the weekend, for averages of about 123 cases and four deaths per day, following 216 cases and eight deaths disclosed Friday.
By date of death occurrence, December and January were by far Sacramento County’s two deadliest months of the pandemic. Health officials have confirmed 384 deaths for December, 313 for January and 101 for Feb. 1 through Feb. 23.
Prior to December, the county’s deadliest month of the pandemic was August, at 181 virus deaths.
The county had 157 patients hospitalized with the virus as of Monday, down from 165 on Sunday for the fewest since Nov. 11, with the ICU total now at 47.
Placer County health officials have confirmed a total of 19,763 infections and 232 deaths. Placer reported 50 new cases and one new death Friday, following 11 cases and no deaths Thursday.
State data showed 61 virus patients in Placer hospitals including 16 in ICUs as of Monday, both the same as Sunday. The county had 52 patients hospitalized with 18 in intensive care as of Saturday’s update.
Yolo County has reported a total of 12,661 cases and 185 deaths. The county reported 19 new cases and no deaths Friday, following 43 cases Thursday.
County officials recently noted that deaths are confirmed in groups, meaning there may be no deaths noted for several days and then many confirmed in a day or two. The county most recently reported four fatalities in a Tuesday update.
State data show Yolo with 16 virus patients hospitalized as of Monday, up from 11 on Sunday, with the ICU total growing from four to six.
El Dorado County has reported 9,120 positive test results and 100 deaths. The county reported 25 cases Friday following nine on Thursday. El Dorado reported three deaths Wednesday, two on Thursday and none Friday.
El Dorado has reported the vast majority of its virus deaths in a little more than the past three months: 96 county residents have died of COVID-19 since Nov. 25, compared to four from last March through mid-November.
State data on Monday showed El Dorado with four patients hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, including one in intensive care, both holding steady from Sunday.
In Sutter County, at least 8,860 people have contracted the virus and 97 have died. Officials reported 19 cases and one new death Thursday, then 15 cases with no deaths Friday.
Yuba County, which shares a health office with Sutter, has reported 5,750 infections and 37 dead, adding 17 cases and one new fatality Friday following 10 cases and no deaths reported Thursday.
The lone hospital serving the Yuba-Sutter bicounty region — Adventist-Rideout in Marysville — had 18 hospitalized virus patients as of Monday, down from 22 on Sunday, with the ICU total dropping from six to five.