By Jorge Casuso

March 26, 2021 -- There were 64 coronavirus cases confirmed in Santa Monica over the past ten days and five virus-related deaths, as nearly one-third of the city's residents have been vaccinated, according to Los Angeles County Health data.

The number of cases has continued to drop since Santa Monica saw weekly cases level off at about 80 in late February and early March.

As of Thursday, there were 4,552 coronavirus cases confirmed in Santa Monica and 161 residents had died with the virus, health officials said.

Meanwhile, the number of Los Angeles County residents hospitalized with the virus dropped below 700 for the first time since October -- with 692 patients hospitalized, about 180 of them in the ICU.

That marks a dramatic drop from a peak of some 8,000 daily hospitalizations in early January, and 1,740 patients in the ICU in mid-December, according to County data.

As of Thursday, there were 1,217,034 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 23,055 virus-related deaths, health officials said.

Nearly 3.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the County of some 10 million, according to County data.

Of those vaccinated, 1,232,348 people received second doses and 67,016 people received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Starting April 1, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to individuals age 50 and older, and starting April 15, for individuals age 16 and older, health officials said.

"The County hopes the expansion of eligibility includes increased doses of vaccine coming into L.A. County," officials said. "However the success will be dependent on receiving a substantial increase in vaccine supplies."

County Health officials expect to receive 340,000 vaccine doses next week, a 21 percent increase over the doses received this week.

Of the doses expected next week, about two-thirds "will go to vaccine providers located in vulnerable and hard-hit communities across the county," health officials said.

"Vaccine eligibility categories were expanded to include gardeners and landscapers, housekeepers and private child caretakers working at least 20 hours per week, and flight crews that live or are based in Los Angeles County," officials said.

Nationwide, there was a 7 percent increase in the seven-day average of Covid-19 cases nationwide, reaching an average of about 57,000 cases per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Hospitalizations and deaths, however, remain significantly below January levels, with the U.S. averaging about 4,600 new hospitalizations and nearly 1,000 virus-related deaths per day, according to the CDC.