New COVID-19 testing site opens at Merced Fairgrounds, as case total continues to rise
A new COVID-19 testing site was launched Monday at the Merced County Fairgrounds — an effort that’s expected to expand testing to all county residents and give a clearer picture of how many people are infected locally.
The site will allow county officials to conduct 100 more tests daily. It’s made possible by a partnership between the state and OptumServe through June.
The Merced County site is one of 80 new testing locations from a contract between OptumServe and the state of California.
“The purpose of the testing is to find out the extent of the coronavirus contagion in Merced,” said County Health Officer Dr. Salvador Sandoval.
The county was deemed a desert in terms of coronavirus testing, Sandoval said, “Meaning we’re doing insufficient testing due to lack of resources, and we’re fortunate to be among 80 sites that were chosen for quenching this thirst in the desert.”
OptumServe tests results are estimated to take about 48 hours for results, but results from last week’s soft opening have been taking a bit longer, Sandoval said. Several individuals have tested positive from last week’s tests.
An additional OptumServe testing site may eventually set up shop in Los Banos, Sandoval said. If there is a surge in cases, the testing will allow County Public Health to better detect it.
Testing at the OptumServe site expands services to asymptomatic individuals, too. It’s estimated that about 20% of those infected are asymptomatic, while others take several days to show symptoms, Sandoval said.
An increase in the number of known Merced County coronavirus cases is expected to happen. Cases in the county have also increased recently, likely due to decreased social distancing efforts, Sandoval said.
“Merced has been slower than the coastal areas and Southern California,” he said. “We haven’t had the impact on our health resources that have affected the larger urban areas. But this shouldn’t give us grounds for complacency, because we’re starting to see cases in the hospital, including intensive care.”
On Sunday, an individual formerly believed to have recovered from coronavirus became symptomatic and re-tested positive for COVID-19.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Sandoval said. County Public Health will investigate the incident, as it is unknown at this time what occurred.
Sandoval noted a nation-wide pattern of rural areas being hit by the pandemic later on, compared to urban areas. But rural communities have fewer resources to manage cases, meaning that preventative restrictions shouldn’t be lifted too early, he said.
Recent discussion between state and county officials has indicated a move toward allowing nonessential businesses to open if they can do so safely, Sandoval said. Gov. Gavin Newsom is working with counties to evaluate their ability to open businesses safely.
“We’re going to be looking at probably regional approaches to opening up the businesses,” Sandoval said.
Meetings took place Monday between County Public Health, law enforcement and other county officials regarding strategies to safely open more parts of the local economy in line with the Governor’s Executive Order, a county news release said.
Also Monday, Newsom said the state may move into the executive order’s second stage Friday if certain conditions are met. Based on improving COVID-19 numbers and health indicators, the move will allow some retailers to reopen with modifications like curbside pickup, the county news release said.
This includes bookstores, music stores, toy stores, florists, sporting goods stores and others. Specifics and guidelines will be released later this week.
“Merced County and its partners remain committed to protecting public health while concurrently working with the business community to assist them during this difficult time,” the release said.
Appointments are available 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. and must be scheduled. Individuals can do so at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 1-888-634-1123.
Coronavirus in Merced County
Total confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic in Merced County rose to 146 on Monday — up four from Sunday, according to County Public Health. Of those, 62 county residents are still ill, 81 have recovered from the disease and three have died.
The first coronavirus case in Merced County was reported six weeks ago on March 22.
The City of Merced surpassed Los Banos as the community with the most infected residents Monday. Merced’s cases rose by four, now claiming 42 of the total 146 positive cases. Los Banos remained at 38 infected persons.
County Public Health only provides numbers for communities with five or more infected residents.
To date, 2,525 tests have been performed in Merced County, including both commercial and public health lab tests. Negative results tally 2,232 and 147 still pending.
Less than a week after its first reported COVID-19 case, Mariposa County tallies 14 known infected residents Monday morning.
In California as of Monday, there have been 55,678 confirmed cases and 2,253 deaths.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 6:31 PM.
