SACRAMENTO, Calif.: California surpassed New York on Tuesday as the U.S. state with the most coronavirus deaths, a grim reminder of the pandemic’s toll even as the vaccine rollout and a sharp drop in new cases buoyed hopes of life eventually returning to normal.
More than 45,000 people have died as of late Tuesday from COVID-19 in California, the most populous of the 50 states and one of the hardest hit in recent months. New York, severely stricken in the early stages of pandemic last spring, has reported 44,693 lives lost, according to a Reuters tally. https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/USA-CALIFORNIA/xegvbwkqwpq
“This is a heart-wrenching reminder that COVID-19 is a deadly virus, and we mourn alongside every Californian who has suffered the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic,” Dr Mark Ghaly, the state’s health secretary, said of the milestone in an email to Reuters.
California, home to some 40 million people, emerged as a main U.S. epicenter of…