No Merced County COVID-19 deaths yet reported this week. Active cases, hospitalizations fluctuate
The Merced County Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 16 additional laboratory confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus since Tuesday.
The new cases increased the number of county residents having contracted the virus since the pandemic’s beginning to 9,588.
Active hospitalizations of Merced County residents due to severe COVID-19 cases also increased on Tuesday by four patients. Of the 26 residents currently hospitalized, just seven are being cared for within the county. The remaining majority are patients at outside facilities.
To date, 698 total county residents have been hospitalized on account of the novel coronavirus.
Other COVID-19 data tracked by County Public Health generally remained stable or improved on Wednesday.
No further fatalities of Merced County residents due to COVID-19 were reported. The most recent death, which was disclosed five days ago on Friday, raised the number of local lives claimed by the pandemic to 155.
Coronavirus-caused deaths of Merced County residents have become fewer and further between compared to recent months, when multiple fatalities were reported nearly every day.
Active COVID-19 outbreaks also remained unchanged on Wednesday. Seven workplace locations are currently listed as having outbreaks.
Three or more laboratory confirmed cases within a two-week period lands a facility on the list. The exception is skilled nursing facilities, where just one case constitutes an outbreak due to the high risk setting. Locations are struck from the list when no additional COVID-19 cases are tied to the facility for two weeks.
Coronavirus infections presumed to be active decreased by five cases on Wednesday to 302. Active cases in recent weeks have fluctuated above and below the 300 threshold.
The active case count is an estimate based on the number of positive COVID-19 cases reported during the past two weeks.
The county’s testing positivity, which indicates the percentage of county residents screened for COVID-19 in the last week whose results return positive, also improved on Wednesday. Positivity decreased to 2.5% from 2.8% on Tuesday.
Testing positivity is one of the data points looked at by the state to determine how much a local economy may reopen under California’s pandemic reopening plan. Generally, lower testing positivity means more economic sectors may reopen in a county.
The state releases updated COVID-19 data for counties once a week on Tuesdays. The most recent update showed Merced County improved compared to the prior week, but it has not yet met every requirement needed to advance to the next reopening tier. The county’s data currently puts it in the second strictest of four reopening tiers.
A total of 65,452 Merced County residents have been screened for the novel coronavirus so far. Of the tests performed, 15.35% have returned positive.
