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Northern California county changes COVID-19 death reporting

Virus Outbreak California Alameda
Posted at 12:40 PM, Jun 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-06 15:40:29-04

DUBLIN, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%.

The official COVID-19 death count in Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, fell from 1,634 to 1,223 after officials changed the criteria for fatalities to match state and national definitions.

Previously, the county had included any person who died while infected with the virus.

The Alameda County Public Health Department says its methodology change does not disproportionally impact reported deaths for any specific race, ethnic group or ZIP code. Statewide, more than 62,000 people have died from the coronavirus.