Coronavirus: San Mateo County reports 38 new cases in two days

Thirty-eight new cases have been confirmed in San Mateo County, bringing the overall total to 277.

San Mateo County on Sunday reported another large increase in the number of new coronavirus cases with 38 positive tests, bringing the total to 277.

Health officials two days ago reported the county’s sixth death from the respiratory illness and its largest single-day increase in the number of new coronavirus cases.

With about 82 new cases in the past three days, San Mateo County is experiencing what health officials have warned about: A surge in the number of confirmed cases as testing becomes more widely available. The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the county has more than doubled since the start of last week.

Earlier this week, county health officer Scott Morrow offered a scathing admonishment to residents who refused to heed the state’s stay-at-home orders over the weekend, saying “you disrespect us all … you spit in our face, and you will contribute to the death toll that will follow.”

Large crowds at many of the county’s parks, resisting social-distancing guidelines to stay away from other people, forced county officials to close all 23 parks it operates in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

As of Saturday, the California Department of Public Health said there were 4,643 confirmed cases in the state. One hundred and one people had died, including one non-California resident.

Officials said there had been about 89,600 tests conducted as of 2 p.m. on March 27; at least 25,192 results have been received and another 64,400 are pending.