City News Service

San Diego County public health officials have reported 443 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths from the illness, raising the county's cumulative tally to 40,342 cases and 704 fatalities.

Firefighters from the Cleveland National Forest and Cal Fire were battling a fast-moving brushfire Saturday that burned about 1,000 acres in two hours in the Japatul Valley area near Alpine.

The number of new cases is the most since 551 were reported Aug. 7, with the vast majority of the new infections confirmed to have started on days before businesses reopened this week.

Additionally, San Diego County public health officials confirmed multiple clusters of COVID-19 cases within the university community among students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it an educational inequity crisis in California that has had a particularly damaging effect on American Indian students, according to the results of a Cal State San Marcos-led survey.

An excessive heat warning will be in effect in the western valleys, the mountains and the deserts from 10 a.m. Friday through 8 p.m. Monday. Another excessive heat warning for coastal areas will run from 10 a.m. Saturday through 8 p.m. Monday.

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.