Santa Clara County Reports 15 New Coronavirus Cases, 1 Death

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — The Santa Clara County Public Health Department reported 15 additional cases of the new coronavirus Wednesday.

The report brings the countywide total of COVID-19 cases to 2,688.

The county reported one additional coronavirus-related fatality, bringing its death toll to 140.

There are currently 52 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Santa Clara County, of which 18 are being treated in intensive care units.

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Walnut Creek is joining a number of other cities in the area moving ahead with a plan to, among other things, close off certain streets to allow more outdoor space for restaurants and retailers to operate.

Some San Francisco businesses will be allowed to operate on city sidewalks, streets or parks thanks to a new program being launched by the city's COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force.

The Shared Spaces Program aim to support local restaurants providing takeout service, as well as beverage vendors and some retail stores by expanding their ability to operate in outdoor public spaces while simultaneously allowing for social distancing among customers and employees.

Tolls will resume on express lanes in the Bay Area beginning 5 a.m. Monday as traffic volumes have increased amid the easing of restrictions in the region's shelter-in-place orders related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced Wednesday.

The state of California will need at least $500 million to ensure all students across the state have Internet access and the technology required for at-home education during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday.

There have been 101,032 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,895 coronavirus-related deaths in California as of Wednesday afternoon according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States had 1,698,581 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 100,276 coronavirus-related fatalities as of Wednesday afternoon.

Patch editor Gideon Rubin and Bay City News contributed to this report.

Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know