Merced County coronavirus recoveries double. Total infections rise to 59
Seven additional coronavirus cases were confirmed in Merced County on Friday, bringing the number of residents who have tested positive for the disease to 59.
No deaths were reported Friday, and the county’s mortality count remains at three people. Nearby Stanislaus County on Friday reported its first death.
Friday’s news release from Merced County brought some good news, as the number of people who’ve recovered from the virus rose to 16, an increase of eight recoveries. A COVID-19 recovery is defined as being symptom free with no medication for 72 hours, according to Public Health.
In California as of Friday, there were 20,479 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 555 deaths.
On Thursday, Merced County reported its highest jump yet in coronavirus infections, with 12 new cases. Ten of those were healthcare workers at Sutter Health Rural Health Clinic in Los Banos.
“We can confirm that some individuals at the Rural Health Clinic tested positive for COVID-19,” a Sutter Health spokesperson said in a written statement to the Sun-Star. “We are working closely with Merced County Department of Public Health to trace and notify those who may have been exposed.”
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (shortness of breath, fever, and cough) who visited the Los Banos clinic on or near March 29 through April 8 is urged to call their medical provider, according to a County Department of Public Health news release.
Testing healthcare workers is a priority, Sutter Health’s statement said.
The clinic is closed for disinfection and is undergoing a “deep clean.” Once properly disinfected, the clinic will open for limited services and teleservice.
The target reopening date is April 13, according to the statement.
“In order to keep our patients and employees safe, Sutter Health has also implemented temperature screenings at all care facilities across our network and implemented universal masking,” the statement said.
UC Merced reports case
Plus, an individual confirmed to have coronavirus Thursday is a member of the UC Merced community, the university reported Friday. UC Merced did not elaborate on how the individual is connected to the university.
“The person has not been on campus since before spring break, and is now recovering at home in a private residence in Merced,” said Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom in a statement.
“Given the rapid progress of this crisis, the university will limit announcements to cases that present a significant change in circumstances or have broad impact on our community.”
More on latest Merced County cases
More than half of the new cases were contracted outside of the county, according to Merced County Public Health. One was transmitted through community spread, one through person-to-person (known) contact and another is still under investigation by Public Health.
Five of the cases confirmed Friday are residents living on the county’s east side. Two live on the west side.
Individuals over the age of 65 make up three of the additional cases. Another three are between 18 to 49-years-old. One is under age 18.
Elsewhere in the central San Joaquin Valley
The number of people confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19, and deaths related to complications from the novel coronavirus, both continued to rise in the central San Joaquin Valley, with significant increases in cases reported Friday by counties across the region.
Thirty-seven additional cases were reported Friday: 18 in Fresno County, 16 in Tulare County, two in Madera County, seven in Merced County and one in Kings County.
Collectively, that brings the total number of patients with COVID-19 to 494 since the first confirmed coronavirus disease cases appeared in the region on March 6.
Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer, also reported that two more people – both elderly men – have died from complications related to the virus. The disease has now claimed five lives in Fresno County, and 21 lives across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties.
To date, Tulare County has seen the greatest death toll from the virus. The 11 lives lost there are more than the rest of the region’s counties combined, and represents a mortality rate of 2.3 deaths per 100,000 population. That’s the seventh highest rate among California’s 58 counties.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 6:17 PM.
