SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After steady decline since mid-July, some metrics of COVID-19 spread are showing early signs of plateauing in California, as transmission has begun to trend upward once again in some parts of the world. The California Department of Public Health reported the latest daily case rate at 7.5 per 100,000 residents in a weekly update Thursday, down 13% in the past week for its lowest point since early April. CDPH reported 1,746 virus-positive patients in hospital beds, a 7% decline in the past week and the smallest tally since mid-May. But decline in the key indicator of test po…