Despite a recent uptick in deaths , California’s other metrics in its battle with COVID-19 continued to improve Wednesday. Counties around the state reported another 3,472 cases of the virus, according to data compiled by this news organization — close to the daily average for the past week, which has fallen about 30% in the past two weeks and more than 60% from its peak. The number of patients hospitalized around the state also continued to shrink to 2,821 on Tuesday, a 25% decline in the past two weeks and fewest active patients since April 7. The 875 patients in intensive care units was 27% fewer than two weeks ago, with only one date on record with fewer patients (April 1, the first day the state began tracking hospitalizations). On Tuesday, the seven-day positivity rate hit its lowest point on record — 3.3% — before climbing back to 3.6% on Wednesday, which is still lower than any point documented before this week. The state only began to test at its current rate — more than 100,000 per day, on average — around the start of July. Through May, it was conducting fewer than 50,000 tests per day, likely not […]