SANTA CLARA COUNTY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County grew by a third overnight from 48 to 66, according to the Public Health Department.

In an update Thursday afternoon, the agency said 31 people are hospitalized with the potentially deadly respiratory disease. One person has recovered and one person, a woman in her 60s with chronic health conditions, has died.

Earlier this week, county Health Officer Sara Cody said she expected the number of cases to grow and took the unprecedented step of barring gatherings of 1,000 or more people for three weeks to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, known officially as COVID-19.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday upped the ante by calling for the cancellation of gatherings over 250 people.

California – and in particular, the Bay Area – has been one of the nation’s hot zones for the virus that has sickened more than 125,000 and killed more than 4,600 worldwide.

Most of the infections and deaths have been in China, but there have been major outbreaks in Italy – now under lockdown – Iran, South Korea, France and Germany, and more than 1,000 cases in the United States.

Some 200 Californians have now tested positive, a 10 percent increase overnight, and four have died. There have been more than 100 cases in the Bay Area, with the most in Santa Clara County.

Check back for updates.