The number of COVID-19 related deaths continues to grow on the Central and South Coasts, with 42 reported Saturday through Monday.
Ventura County had 20 additional fatalities, San Luis Obispo County 13, and Santa Barbara County nine. The news comes as officials report that January was the deadliest month of the pandemic in America, with 95,000 deaths reported nationwide.
There is some encouraging news in the Tri-Counties. The three-day total of new cases is down from recent weeks. 2700 new cases were reported Monday. Ventura County had 1749 cases, Santa Barbara County 680, and San Luis Obispo County 282.
There have now been more than 117,000 cases of the virus diagnosed in the region since it first appeared here nearly a year ago.
The strain on many of the region’s hospitals is reported to be easing a bit, with the number of open intensive care unit beds available increasing.
