San Diego County reports 2,259 new COVID-19 cases, 32 deaths

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County public health officials Thursday, Dec. 24 reported 2,259 new COVID-19 infections, the 24th consecutive day with more than 1,000 cases.

There were 32 deaths from the virus reported, 29 among people with underlying medical conditions and one who did not. Medical histories on the two other decedents remain pending.

The deaths occurred between Dec. 16 and Wednesday.

County officials said the ages of the 17 men and 15 women who died range from mid-40s to late 90s.

Thursday was the 17th day with more than 2,000 new cases. The five highest daily case counts have all occurred in the past week.

Another 39 people were also hospitalized, according to Thursday's data, and another eight sent to intensive care units.

The county's cumulative cases increased to 136,955 and the death toll to 1,382.

Nine new community outbreaks were also confirmed on Wednesday, four in business settings, two in hotel/resort/spa settings, one in a health care setting, one in a government setting and one in a restaurant/bar setting. There have been 45 confirmed outbreaks over the past seven days.