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Number Of Diagnosed Coronavirus Cases On Central, South Coasts Tops 200; Three Deaths Reported

The number of coronavirus cases on the Central and South Coasts continues to grow, now topping 200 for the first time. The official is now 229 in the region. Ventura County is now reporting 98 confirmed coronavirus cases. Santa Barbara County is at 64, and San Luis Obispo County 67.

There have been a total of three deaths in the region. They were all in Ventura County, and all involved people in the 70’s with pre-existing health conditions. About a dozen people in the region are in hospitals because of the virus.

Most of those diagnosed are recovering at home, and some have already fully recovered.

The situation has prompted a new call by Ventura County Public Health officials for people to stay at home. They say we will see a surge in cases in the county in the near future, and aren’t sure what it will look like.

But, they say in a worst case scenario, the county could need 18,000 ventilators for the sickest patients, and its eight hospitals only have about 1800. Meanwhile, officials are closing more parks and beaches in the region to keep people from violating social distancing guidelines.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.