The number of new cases of the deadly coronavirus in California have not been as low as the number reported Saturday since September, data gathered by this news organization shows.
State officials on Saturday reported 3,993 new cases of the virus and 157 deaths, well below the average for the past week, bringing the total number of cases in California to 3,541,67 and total deaths to 51,979. With cases low, officials were also encouraged by the introduction of a new vaccine by Johnson and Johnson, which the FDA authorized Saturday.
The addition of a third vaccine in the U.S. means that more than 100 million people – nearly one-third of the U.S. population – could be vaccinated by the end of March.
Across the Bay Area, the average number of cases and deaths has also fallen. On Saturday, officials in the nine-county area reported 734 new cases, below the average of 814 for this week, bringing the total to 406,301 cases. Nine people were reported to have died from the virus, well below the average of 27, for a total of 5,354 deaths.
Santa Clara, Alameda and the North Bay counties — Sonoma, Solano, Napa and Marin — did not report new deaths on Saturday.
Santa Clara county reported a below-average count of 185 new cases, bringing the total to 110,422. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,777 people have died.
Alameda County reported no new deaths and the county’s death toll remains at 1,241. Officials reported 217 new cases, above the 146 case average for the past 7 days, for a total of 80,496 cases.
In the North Bay, the death toll remained at 728 as officials also reported 77 new cases for a total of 80,177 cases, well below the average of 145 cases every day this week.
San Mateo County officials recorded an above average day with 13 new deaths, bringing the total to 515 deaths. In that county, 38,729 people have contracted the virus, and 55 people were reported positive Saturday.
San Francisco reported two deaths for a total of 412 deaths and 60 new cases for a total of 33,970, also below average.
