The Latest: California COVID cases starting to slip

LOS ANGELES — California on Sunday reported another 481 coronavirus deaths, a day after the statewide death toll topped 40,000 even as the rates of new infections and hospitalizations continue to fall.
The state said that the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 slipped below 14,850 — a drop of more than 25% in two weeks.
The 18,974 new confirmed cases are about one-third the mid-December peak of 54,000.
With hospitalizations and confirmed cases falling, health officials ar