By Jorge Casuso

May 26, 2020 -- There were eight new coronavirus cases confirmed in Santa Monica last week, the lowest weekly tally since the pandemic struck the beach city more than two months ago.

That was four fewer cases than the 12 reported between March 17, when the first case was confirmed, and March 23, according to data provided by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.

As of Monday there have been 254 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the city if some 93,000 residents. A total of 17 Santa Monicans have died, three of them last week.

The sudden drop in reported cases -- from 35 in each of the two previous weeks -- comes as the County ramps up testing, with a walk-up facility now open in Santa Monica ("Free Coronavirus Tests Offered at Santa Monica College," May 8, 2020).

Results are now available for nearly 490,000 individuals, up from fewer than 110,000 one month ago, according to County data. Eight percent of those tested to date were positive.

As of Monday, there were 46,018 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,116 deaths, health officials said.

Ninety-three percent of people who had the virus when they died had underlying health conditions.

The death toll in the County of some 10 million dropped to 26 over the past two days, after reaching an average of 44 deaths per day one month ago, according to County data.

The data for confirmed cases are typically reported about two weeks after the tests are taken.

Confirmed cases in Santa Monica nursing homes -- which are required by the County to test residents and staff daily -- also dropped last week.

There were 11 cases confirmed at local nursing homes last week, bringing the total to date to 173 -- 118 among residents and 55 among staff.

A total of 27 residents have died, with 90 percent of the positive cases and all but one of the deaths at three of the seven nursing homes where at least one case has been reported.

Of the 11 new cases reported last week, six were staff members and five were residents.

As of Monday, 6,190 people who tested positive for COVID-19 -- 13 percent of positive cases -- have been hospitalized at some point during their illness, County officials said.

There are 1,440 people hospitalized, 28 percent of them in the ICU and 18 percent on ventilators.