Two new Merced County coronavirus deaths, more workplace outbreaks confirmed over weekend
Two more residents died over the weekend after contracting the novel coronavirus, the Merced County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday.
Both of the most recently deceased were men, according to County Public Health. One was between age 50-64 and the other was older than 65. It is unknown whether either had underlying health conditions prior to their deaths.
The local fatality count now stands at 29 since the pandemic began. Seven Merced County residents have died due to COVID-19 since the prior Monday.
Total known Merced County coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic now tally 3,510.
County Public Health since Friday also updated its list of local COVID-19 outbreaks. There are now 16 active outbreaks.
New additions to the list include the Hilmar Cheese Company and Razarri Ford.
The number of infections tied to each location was not disclosed, but outbreaks are defined as three or more known COVID-19 cases linked to a workplace facility within a two-week period.
One positive case constitutes an outbreak at a skilled nursing facility due to the high-risk setting.
Workplace outbreak cases are closed and removed from the list after there are no new cases are confirmed for two weeks.
The case count rose by 265 new infections, increasing the number presumed active to 1,428 Monday from 1,361 Friday. Active cases are an estimate based on the number of positive laboratory confirmed test results within the last 14 days.
Active hospitalizations fell slightly by one to 66 Monday. Intensive care unit capacity currently stands below the state’s minimum threshold of 20% at 16.7% locally.
However, the number of individuals hospitalized in a Merced County facility rose significantly from 49 Friday to 63. This means three persons are currently hospitalized in facilities outside of the county.
The positive test rate, which represents the percentage of individuals screened for COVID-19 over a certain period who test positive, continued to rise Monday to 18.7% in Merced over the past week.
This is well above the state’s overall rate of about 7.5% and the California Department of Public Health’s ideal maximum rate of 8% for counties.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 5:33 PM.
