BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — More than 1,000 people have reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus in Kern County in the last 24-hours as the number of cases hover around or eclipse that mark this week. Fortunately, there were no deaths reported.
According to the county's dashboard, another 1,115 people have tested positive for COVID-19, pushing the total to more than 62,400. This as the number of people who've recovered or are isolating at home is nearly 61,685.
No new deaths were attributed to the virus with 269 people currently hospitalized. There were 287 people back on December 15th.
According to the state, there are 11 ICU beds currently available in Kern County.
Officials are worried about another big spike in cases after Christmas as people gather with family.
Consider this man's story: Joe Bruno. A week before Thanksgiving he said his sister, a hairstylist, got a negative result on a COVID test so they thought it was safe for her to stop by to cut Joe's hair. Their mom Carol tagged along.
Bruno said it was a brief visit -- less than an hour -- and everyone was wearing masks and the windows were open. But within days all three had symptoms.
His mother Carol died and overnight his father, who wasn't there but is believed to have been infected by his wife also died.
An ABC News investigation looked at travel from 20 of the nation's largest counties. Overall 18 of those counties saw increases in COVID cases following the week of Thanksgiving.
In the counties with high numbers of travelers going long distances on average officials are reporting an additional 407 infections per day.
In LA County the number of new COVID-19 cases per day surging by 80 percent.
