California counties logged a sharp dropoff in COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, with the state reporting 51 fatalities, less than half the number recorded one day earlier.
The deaths brought California’s total to 3,207 fatalities from the virus, according to data compiled by this news organization. But Saturday’s fatalities showed a sharp decline from the 107 deaths reported on Friday, which itself was the second-deadliest day in California since the coronavirus pandemic began.
California also reported 1,859 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, down from 2,030 new cases on Friday. With Saturday’s figures, California’s case total reached 78,704, with a seven-day average of 1,712 new cases. The state’s seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths dipped to just below 74 fatalities on Saturday.
Los Angeles County reported the vast majority of Saturday’s new cases and deaths, with 1,044 new cases and 38 new deaths on the day, giving it a total of 1,793 deaths. San Bernardino County had 155 new cases and five deaths, while Tulare County had three deaths, Orange County reported two deaths, and Alameda, San Diego and Kern Counties reported one death each.
Alameda County added 51 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday to bring its total to 2,351, while Santa Clara County reported 15 new cases, to reach a total of 2,418. New county figures had not been released by late morning Sunday.
The number of patients hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide decreased by 95, to 4,424 on Saturday. Hospitalizations across the nine-county Bay Area, plus Santa Cruz County dipped to 513 on Saturday from 516 on Friday.
