California coronavirus hospitalizations dropping, death rate holds steady

California hospitals are seeing COVID-19 cases that require hospitalization continue to fall, but the death rate continues to hold steady as it approaches 50,000 for the state.

The state reported more than 400 deaths on Sunday as it approaches 50,000, which is the highest total in the nation.

Officials, however, say they are confident that the state is coming out of the worst of the pandemic, according to The Associated Press.

According to the report, the number of coronavirus patients in hospital beds across California dipped below 9,000 over the weekend, down by more than 33 percent over the last two weeks.

And in Los Angeles County, the positive test rate saw its lowest numbers since Feb. 1 at 5.3 percent.

More than 46,000 people have died in California since the pandemic began last year, more than in any other U.S. state. The state became the first in the U.S. to surpass 3 million total infections in January.

Despite the high rates of COVID-19 transmission the state experienced in December and January, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) faces a recall campaign supported by some state Republicans in response to his efforts to implement restrictions on public life meant to slow the spread of the virus. 

Newsom was forced to apologize last year after he attended a birthday celebration at the prestigious French Laundry restaurant, claiming at the time that he expected the gathering to be smaller when it was when he agreed to attend.

The state has struggled in its vaccine rollout, according to the AP, with 5.8 million shots administered, but vaccination centers struggling to operate at full capacity due to dose shortages.