Gas prices are falling quickly across Southern California as crude oil prices continue to fall and more consumers shelter at home amid the coronavirus outbreak, lowering overall demand.

Oil has been plunging recent weeks as investors anticipate a sharp drop in demand for energy as manufacturing, travel and commerce grind nearly to a halt. It’s down by nearly half from $45 a barrel earlier this month. A price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has also pushed oil lower.

“As long as demand and oil prices stay low, we should see gas prices continue to drop,” said Jeffrey Spring, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Los Angeles County dropped Friday to its lowest amount since Feb. 7, 2019, decreasing 3.2 cents to $3.325.

The average price in LA County has dropped 19 consecutive days and 22 of the past 23, decreasing 24.2 cents, including 2.5 cents on Thursday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The average price is 12.7 cents less than a week ago, 24.6 cents lower than one month ago and 8.5 cents below what is was one year ago. It has dropped 29 cents since the start of the year.

In early March, analysts at Gas Buddy predicted gas prices would fall 20-30% as the outbreak grew and Russian and Saudi Arabia squabbled over production limits.

Prices at big-box membership clubs on Friday were even lower than the local averages, running $2.58 a gallon for regular gas at a Costco in Corona or $2.75 at the Signal Hill store. The price was $2.69 a gallon at Sam’s Club in Fullerton.

In Orange County, the average price dropped to its lowest amount since Feb. 2, 2019, decreasing 2.5 cents to $3.272. It has dropped 24 consecutive days, decreasing 24.7 cents, including 2.4 cents on Thursday.

The Orange County average price is 13.5 cents less than one week ago, 24.9 cents lower than one month ago and 8.4 cents below what it was one year ago. It has dropped 27.3 cents since the start of the year.

Commercial and general motorist traffic has dropped significantly because of the coronavirus outbreak while oil prices have decreased both because of reduced demand and increased production by Russia and Saudi Arabia boosting the supply, Spring said.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Riverside County also dropped Friday to its lowest amount since Feb. 7, 2019, decreasing 3.4 cents to $3.225. The average price has dropped 16 consecutive days, decreasing 24.1 cents, including 2.7 cents on Thursday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.