An average of 544 Californians died every day in the last week from the CCP virus, with on Saturday, the state reaching a grim milestone of 40,000 deaths overall, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In barely a year since the virus was first detected in the state, 1 in 1,000 Californians have died from it. The death toll has climbed rapidly since the worst surge of the pandemic started in mid-October. New cases and hospitalizations surged to record highs but have declined in the last two weeks. Deaths remain staggeringly high, however, with more than 3,800 in the last week. Taiwan Reports First Death in 8 Months Taiwan’s government on Saturday reported the island’s first death from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus since May, as it battles a small and unusual outbreak of locally transmitted cases. A woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions died after …