Ten new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Contra Costa County on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases across the county to 61.
The report of new cases comes two days after the county saw its first death related to the disease.
Health officials said earlier that the county’s first victim of COVID-19 was between 70 and 80 years old who had a preexisting condition and had been hospitalized. The person also recently had traveled from Europe to the United States, officials said.
The number of cases will continue to rise, experts say, as testing becomes more readily available to residents. Still, Contra Costa County says the uptick and recent death underscore the importance of residents adhering to the statewide shelter-in-place mandate.
“We want the public to understand that more confirmed cases does not mean we are losing ground,” county health officials said in a statement Friday. “It means we are sharpening our focus and gathering data that will help us through this emergency.”
Despite the increase in cases, Contra Costa County has less than other sections of the Bay Area, including Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco and Alameda counties.