The latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic shows the Imperial County count of active COVID-19 cases continues to grow.

According to the information from the Imperial County Public Health Department there are now 1,204 active cases of the virus. That's an increase of 168 from the Friday report. There have also been an additional 2 deaths attributed to the disease with 355 deaths total. The new cases per day per 100,000 population is at 53.89 and the positivity rate is 27.74%Both significantly higher than Friday. The number of COVID-19 patients in Intensive Care Units in local hospitals is near capacity. Local health officials are expecting the numbers to jump again following the Thanksgiving holiday as many people have chosen to ignore the advice of the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC 0 and state and local health authorities and will gather for a traditional holiday meal with family and friends.