No new COVID-19 cases in Merced County reported Monday, after weekend surge, first death
No new Merced County coronavirus cases were confirmed Monday by the Department of Public Health. The number of infected individuals in the county remains at 29.
The weekend brought the county’s first COVID-19 related death and 10 new cases of the disease.
The first case traced to healthcare exposure was reported by County Public Health on Monday. Healthcare exposure refers to a Merced County resident acquiring the disease in a healthcare setting, either within or outside the county’s borders.
The individual had previously been counted by Public Health under the “travel related” transmission category, said Supervising Epidemiologist Dr. Kristynn Sullivan.
The new transmission category includes residents who either work in the healthcare field or sought healthcare outside of Merced County, Sullivan said.
The numbers of those counted in the healthcare and travel categories may fluctuate in the coming days as Public Health reorganizes cases into the most accurate transmission description, Sullivan said.
Two of the three cases previously under investigation have now been traced to person to person transmission, and the third to community spread.
The first Merced County individual to die from COVID-19 complications was a man under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions, Public Health reported Sunday. The man contracted the disease through community transmission, meaning the infection was not traced to travel but the exact source is unclear.
More than 361,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus nationally. The number of people who have died has reached 10,680.
In California, there are 15,161 active COVID-19 cases and 347 deaths as of Monday.
Coronavirus throughout the Valley
Eleven people total have died from the respiratory illness in the central San Joaquin Valley’s five counties: Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare.
Stanislaus County reported Monday morning that 71 people have tested positive for the virus and 1,620 tested negative. Twenty-seven of the positive cases were hospitalized. Deaths remain at zero.
The second Fresno County death related to coronavirus was reported by health officials Monday, in addition to 16 new infections there. Fresno County’s new cases push its total to 124 positive patients.
Tulare County health officials counted 135 cases of the pandemic virus through Monday — 19 more than the previous day. Six people have succumbed to the disease in that county.
Madera County has not reported any new cases since Saturday. Two of the Valley‘s deaths, including the first, were in the county.
Kings County continues to report five positive cases and no deaths.
Community spread and person to person transmission both account for 9 cases each. Cases acquired outside the county have reached 10 in total.
At least one individual within the four age ranges specified by County Public Health have been infected. This includes one person under age 18 and three over age 65.
Of the 29 total cases, 17 infected residents live on the east side of the county and 12 on the west side. Men make up a slight majority of those infected at 15 total, and women account for 14 of the cases.
The public can report non-essential business activity and large group gatherings that violate the state-mandated stay-at-home order by calling (209) 381-1100 or emailing COVIDcomplaint@countyofmerced.com.
Those in need of help or able to give help can do so on the county’s website.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 5:48 PM.
