The number of COVID-positive patients in California hospitals continues to decline, dropping to 752, a decrease of 29 over the previous day, according to the latest state figures.
Of those patients, 89 were being treated in intensive care. That data is through June 24, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state began updating the numbers again earlier this week, after reporting paused May 11 due to a change in the state’s COVID-19 hospitalization data collection system as a result of the end of the federal public health emergency.
San Diego County’s total was 48 COVID-positive patients, down from 60 about a month ago and down from 93 on May 2. Of those 48 patients, five were being treated in intensive care.
The data include all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during their stay. It does not necessarily mean they were hospitalized because of COVID-19 complications or that they experienced COVID-19 symptoms.
Meanwhile, San Diego County health officials reported 325 new cases of the coronavirus and one additional COVID-related death in its most recent weekly update on Thursday. That brings the county’s cumulative totals to 990,677 cases and 5,891 fatalities since the pandemic began in early 2020, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
A majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, health officials have said.
Hospitalizations, case and death numbers have been gradually declining for several months.
Federal emergency declarations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic are now over, but health officials note that COVID-19 continues to be one of the leading causes of death, “requiring ongoing efforts to reduce severe illness through readily available vaccinations, testing and treatment.”
— City News Service