Ventura County surpasses 200 COVID-19 deaths

VENTURA, Calif. - Ventura County passed a grim milestone on Tuesday: 200 coronavirus-related deaths.

On Tuesday, the Ventura County Public Health Department added two new deaths to the county's list, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 201.

Ventura County has seen a steady increase in new coronavirus cases in the past month, likely spurred by holiday visits and coronavirus fatigue.

The biggest area of concern facing Ventura County in the coming weeks: hospital ICU capacity. Currently, Ventura County has only 5% of ICU beds available. That number is a far cry from the 20% target availability required by the state to be removed from the California's regional stay-at-home order.

With cases increasing in dramatic fashion in recent weeks, health professionals expect additional ICU stays to increase, likely meaning more deaths are on the way.

Ventura County reported more than 2,700 coronavirus cases over the weekend. Three deaths have been reported in the last week.

For a complete breakdown of coronavirus cases in Ventura County, click here.