Hard-hit Silicon Valley leads California with 13 coronavirus deaths

Santa Clara County officials announced the deaths of three more people from the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 13.

Silicon Valley has been particularly hard hit by the outbreak, with 321 total cases and more than 100 people hospitalized.

Despite the big number of confirmed cases, the county said the real totals are much higher. “Because of limited testing capacity, the number of confirmed cases almost certainly represents a small fraction of the total number of persons with COVID-19 in the county,” officials said in a statement.

Santa Clara County has also been one of the most aggressive jurisdictions in trying to slow the spread by limiting mass gathering well before other counties.

Officials released some demographic information about those who died. They said 38% of the victims did not have preexisting health conditions.

Age breakdown of victims:

Age 40-50: 8%
Age 51-60: 15%
Age 61-70: 31%
Age 71-80: 15%
Age 81-90: 31%

Santa Clara County has experienced far more deaths than any other California county. Here is a breakdown:

Santa Clara: 13
Los Angeles: 8
Sacramento: 4
San Joaquin: 2
Alameda: 1
Contra Costa: 1
San Diego: 1
San Mateo: 1
San Francisco: 0
Orange: 0

Officials have been urging people to follow strict stay-at-home orders in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Several workers at San Jose Mineta International Airport have the coronavirus, as do some San Jose firefighters.

Last week, the San Jose police chief warned he would start enforcing the public health order to shut nonessential businesses soon. His officers discovered 55 violations last week of business operating, including flower shops, gyms, a video game store, car wash and a billiards hall.

“A billiards hall? Are you kidding me?” Chief Eddie Garcia said during a news conference. “Education is going to turn to enforcement very soon.”

Up the peninsula in San Francisco, officials on Monday warned that a surge in coronavirus cases is expected to come within a week or two, and voiced dismay over images of the public crowding at beaches and parks across California.

“The worst is yet to come,” San Francisco Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax said at a news conference Monday.