California Sets New Daily Record Of 379 Virus Deaths

By jsalinas 12/17/2020261 views

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2020 file photo, Dr. Rafik Abdou, right, and respiratory therapist Babu Paramban check on a COVID-19 patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. California reported more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases and 293 deaths on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, setting new daily records as hospitals struggled to keep up with the surge. Southern California and the state's Central Valley — regions that together include 23 counties and most of the state's nearly 40 million residents — had exhausted their regular supply of intensive care beds and many hospitals were tapping into their "surge" capacity. (AP Photo/Jae Hong, File)

(AP) — California health authorities have reported a one-day record of 379 coronavirus deaths and more than 52,000 new confirmed cases. The staggering new figures released Thursday mean California has seen more than 1,000 deaths in the last five days and nearly 106,000 cases in just two days.

Many of the state’s hospitals are now running out of capacity to treat the severest cases. California’s pandemic death toll now stands at 21,860. The state has also seen the most cases in the nation with more than 1.7 million confirmed.