California’s case count continued to plummet Tuesday, though there were the most deaths from COVID-19 reported around the state in nearly two weeks, according to data compiled by this news organization . The 149 fatalities reported across California on Tuesday were the most since Aug. 21, 11 days ago, increasing the seven-day average slightly to about 109 deaths per day over the past week. But it remains about 25% lower than its peak in early August, which ended as the state’s deadliest month of the pandemic . The 109-deaths-per-day average is lower than nearly any point in the past five weeks, and the number of new cases fell to its lowest mark since June 25 — two-and-a-half months ago — with 4,311 reported statewide Tuesday to bring the seven-day average down to about 5,000 per day. That means California is about halfway to crushing its summer spike, which brought case loads of nearly 10,000 per day and death toll of more than 7,000 between July and August. Even if California plateaued at a rate of 5,000 cases per day throughout September, it wouldn’t come close to the totals of the past two months, each with well over 200,000 cases. […]