COVID in California: 2 million confirmed cases and counting

LOS ANGELES (AP) – California has become the first state to record 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases.

A tally by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday showed the nation’s most populous state has recorded 2,010,157 infections since January.

More than 23,000 people have died from the virus.

The grim milestone comes as a COVID-19 crisis that health officials say stems from

Thanksgiving gatherings strains California’s medical system. More than 18,000 people are hospitalized, and many of the state’s intensive care units are filled.

Pleas to avoid social gatherings for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays rang with special desperation in Southern California, where Los Angeles County is leading the surge.