El Cerrito Coronavirus Cases Now 37 | CoCo Reports New Deaths

EL CERRITO, CA — El Cerrito's count of confirmed cases of coronavirus is now 37, while Contra Costa County has recorded two new deaths blamed on complications from the virus. Neither lived in a long-term care facility.

The county health department has just started reporting the deaths separately. To give some perspective, the county has reported 15 deaths this month. Of those, 11 people lived in long-term care facilities. The total death toll in the county since the start of the pandemic is now 92.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom announced strict new health orders on Monday, he cited several reasons including rising cases that can't be attributed to more testing, an increase in hospitalizations, and intensive care admissions. Here in Contra Costa County, there are now 79 people hospitalized for complications from coronavirus, and a seven-day average of 71 patients. The average increased by 19 over the past week.

Roughly 60 percent of the state's hospital beds are currently full, and state officials are concerned by rising ICU admissions.

"And as a consequence, we wanted to be prepared for those conditions — based on the trend lines, based on the data, based on the science — to modify our stay-home order," Newsom said.

In addition to restaurants, theaters, wineries, zoos and museums being ordered to close indoor operations in all counties, effective immediately, Contra Costa is on the "Watch List" because of surging statistics, so even more restrictions were ordered here including closing hair salons and barbershops, gyms and fitness centers, indoor protests, worship services, nonessential offices and shopping malls.

Meanwhile, county supervisors on Tuesday extended a temporary prohibition on rental tenant evictions, and a residential rent increase moratorium.

Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

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