Kings County’s coronavirus cases climbs with its highest daily increase yet

One day after the Kings County Board of Supervisors lifted the county’s shelter-in-place order during the coronavirus pandemic, the county had its biggest daily surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The Kings County Department of Public Health on Wednesday night reported 17 new cases of COVID-19, which brings the county’s total to 96 cases since the outbreak started.

Kings County currently has 80 active cases of COVID-19, along with 15 cases of recovery and one coronavirus-related death.

The jump comes just after the county’s board of supervisors removed any county ordinance pertaining to the coronavirus. Residents, however, still must follow the statewide order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Supervisor Richard Valle said there was confusion among residents over who was responsible for the county’s shelter-in-place directive, which has been in place since March 31.

Newsom suggested that social distancing rules could be loosened within “weeks” rather than months, if statewide hospitalization rates stabilize and if Californians adhere to physical distancing requirements.