Updated 4 hours ago COVID-19 has now claimed more than 604,000 American lives. NBC 7 Investigates has been tracking death rates per county, and found a staggering contrast across California. Some counties reported nearly four times as many COVID-19 deaths as others. According to the COVID-19 deaths reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), San Diego County has seen 132 deaths per 100,000 people. That’s better than the average for California counties -- 164. Riverside County has reported 209 deaths per 100,000 people, and Imperial County has reported 323 deaths - the highest rate in the state. Public health officials say there are several factors at play in the death rate disparities, such as the types of jobs people work in each county and public interventions, like stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, which San Diego County put in place in May 1, 2020.