City News Service

A record 79 COVID-19 deaths were reported by San Diego County public health officials Friday, along with 2,847 new COVID-19 cases and 437 positive intensive care patients.

An appeals court Friday overturned a San Diego Superior Court judge's ruling that would have reopened San Diego County restaurants amid COVID-19 restrictions, finding that the judge issued "an overbroad injunction that was unsupported by the law."

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was unanimously elected as the San Diego Association of Governments' vice-chair Friday by its Board of Directors, where he will serve alongside Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, who was unanimously elected chair in December.

According to the EDD, total non-farm employment in San Diego County decreased by 5,300 jobs month-over-month — from 1,424,900 to 1,419,600 — while farm employment contracted from 9,200 to 8,600.

With the third week of the winter quarter drawing to a close at UC San Diego, the university reported Friday that COVID-19 positive test rates among its students have fallen to less than 1% since classes resumed on Jan. 4, far below the San Diego County average of 12%.

Following a spell of unseasonably warm and dry Santa Ana conditions in the San Diego area, a cold storm will return wintry weather — including widespread rainfall and mountain snow — to the region this weekend, forecasters said.

California has been battered by 10 previous atmospheric rivers this winter.

The latest in-custody death comes on the heels of news that a sheriff’s deputy was arrested for allegedly having illegal drugs on county jail property.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a statement in response to Southwest's cancellations, noting that the department will be looking into the situation.