SANTA CLARA COUNTY – Three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Santa Clara County, bringing the total to 48, authorities announced Wednesday evening.

In a brief statement, the county said it expects the number of coronavirus cases to grow and urged residents to follow public health guidelines, which include frequent hand washing and cleaning of high-touch surfaces. A full list of guidelines is available here.

The increase comes just days after county Health Officer Sara Cody issued a legally binding order barring gatherings of 1,000 people or more for three weeks, beginning Wednesday. San Francisco and Oakland have since introduced similar bans, all of which are intended to slow the spread of the virus.

The new cases are not connected to Mineta San Jose International Airport. A trio of Transportation Security Administration officers who work there have tested positive for COVID-19.

State officials said earlier Wednesday that there were 177 cases of the coronavirus in California, not counting those from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which docked in Oakland this week and was offloading passengers for treatment or quarantine.

Three people have died in the state, including a Santa Clara County woman with chronic health conditions.

The vast majority of the state’s cases are people aged 18 and older, with more than a third being age 65 and up. More than 11,000 people are reported to be self-isolating after returning to the U.S. through SFO or LAX.

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