California reported 3,974 new cases of coronavirus and 51 deaths on Friday, a decrease from previous days tempered by the fact that several counties did not report new data, especially Los Angeles County.
The state has had 249,262 cases and 6,312 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Cases reported Friday have dropped significantly since a week in which California hit record highs twice, leaving it with a six-day average of 6,402 cases daily and 65 deaths.
But those numbers don’t include multiple counties that didn’t report new data on Friday, when the July 4 holiday was observed. Among them is Los Angeles County, which has 43 percent of all cases in the state and entered Friday with an average of 2,314 daily cases and 30 deaths. Los Angeles County Public Health said on its website that it is improving its data processing systems and will not report new data until Monday.
Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Joaquin were among the nearly 30 counties that reported no new cases or deaths on Friday.
In the Bay Area, Contra Costa County recorded 106 new cases for a total of 3,432 and one new death for a total of 79. That is slightly below the county’s seven-day average of 108 cases. Cases in the county have been increasing since May 16, when it averaged just 12 new cases per day. Contra Costa County has been moving closer to overtaking San Mateo County for the fourth largest number of cases in the Bay Area.
Contra Costa County reported 1,631 new tests Thursday, the most recent data available, with a seven-day average positive rate of 7.2 percent, the highest since April 19 and a significant increase from a low of 1.7 percent. May 15.
Santa Clara County reported 99 new cases and one death on Friday, for a total of 4,849 cases and 160 deaths. Cases have skyrocketed in Santa Clara County since mid-May, with a seven-day average of 124 cases daily. On May 11, the county averaged 14 cases daily. The county has a seven-day average positive test rate of 2.6 percent, an increase from a low of 1.2 percent on May 27.
San Mateo County reported 65 new cases totaling 3,441 and no new deaths, with a total of 108 deaths from COVID-19. The county has a seven-day average of 56 cases daily. The county has a test positivity rate of 4.9 percent.
Alameda County, which has the majority of cases in the Bay Area, reported 88 new cases totaling 6,472 and two deaths totaling 140. The county has a seven-day average of 140 cases daily, the highest average in the Bay Area. The county has a seven-day average positive evaluation rate of 4 percent.
San Francisco reported 57 new cases, for a total of 3,776 and no new deaths, with a total of 50 deaths from COVID-19. The county has a seven-day average of 54 cases daily. San Francisco has an overall positive test rate of 3 percent.
