Merced County confirms 3 new COVID-19 deaths, amid more ‘purple tier’ restrictions
As spiking coronavirus cases across California triggered another round of economic shuttering statewide Monday, the Merced County Department of Public Health’s latest COVID-19 data update also reflected the pandemic’s rising severity.
Monday’s data report from Department of Public Health came amid news that Merced County, along with many California counties, had been demoted to the “purple tier” by the state — the most limited economic reopening tier.
In purple tier counties like Merced County, restaurants, houses of worship and other affected sectors must return to outdoor-only operations by Tuesday.
The regression to the strictest set of rules followed a recent warning from County Public Health that worsening COVID-19 data indicated another wave of state-mandated closures was coming.
The virus’ latest surge is reflected in increases for Merced County’s COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations, outbreaks and new cases during recent weeks.
Three deaths of Merced County residents have been confirmed since Friday, according to the Department of Public Health. A total of 172 known Merced County residents have died due to COVID-19 to date.
All three of the most recently deceased residents were men, according to County Public Health. One was between age 50-64 and the other two were 65-years-old or older. One of the deceased had underlying health conditions prior to death. The health status of the other two are unknown.
Merced County had experienced some degree of respite from the virus in September and August, when daily case counts often tallied less than 50 and reported deaths became fewer.
But 14 resident fatalities have been reported in the last two weeks, compared to six during the preceding two-week period.
New cases since Friday tallied 178, bringing the county’s running tally since the beginning of the pandemic to 10,552. Saturday accounted for 52 of those cases, Sunday 26 and Monday 96 — the highest daily number of new cases since Aug. 24.
The number of those total cases presumed to be active leaped on Monday to 773 from 700 on Friday. Two weeks ago, active cases tallied nearly half that at 404. An active case count higher than Monday’s hasn’t been reported since Sept. 4.
Cases are considered active if they were laboratory confirmed within the last two weeks. Although the count is an estimate, the upswing indicates a rising number of positive COVID-19 results.
The county’s increasing case positivity rate, which until recently had been promisingly low, is also reflective of the virus’s increased spread. Testing positivity shows the percentage of residents screened for COVID-19 during the past week whose results are positive. It is one of several metrics used by the state to determine county reopening tiers.
As of Monday, Merced County testing positivity was 6.2% — up from 2.8% two weeks ago.
The state also considers new daily cases per 100,000 residents to determine county reopening tiers. Merced County has risen to 16.8 new cases per 100,000 compared to the 12.8 per 100,000 reported during the last state update on Tuesday.
Due to the county’s coronavirus data having worsened for two weeks in a row, restaurants, churches, gyms and other business sectors that had been allowed to reopen indoors with limited capacity now must return to strictly outdoor operations by Tuesday.
Forty other counties are subject to the same strict rules as well. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said the state is on track for the fastest increase in cases seen yet, posing a risk to the healthcare system and countless lives. The governor announced several emergency changes to the current pandemic blueprint, which he called an “emergency break.”
Rising positive cases are still being driven by large gatherings and events, a County Public Health news release said on Monday.
The department urged county residents to limit gatherings and the mixing of different households, especially with the upcoming holiday season. Residents are urged to continue practicing safety measures like wearing a mask, social distancing and sanitizing surfaces.
Plus, County Public Health is still encouraging residents to get tested for COVID-19 every 14 days as part of ongoing surveillance testing to ensure asymptomatic individuals are not spreading the virus.
More on latest COVID-19 numbers
Active hospitalizations of Merced County residents due to severe COVID-19 cases increased by one patient since Friday to 39. Two weeks ago, 28 residents were hospitalized.
Twenty of the actively hospitalized residents are being cared for within Merced County — a noticeable increase compared to past weeks, when in-county hospitalizations often tallied fewer than 12.
A total of 740 residents have been hospitalized on account of the virus since the pandemic’s start. That’s an increase of five since Friday.
Active coronavirus outbreaks in the county remained at 16 on Monday, with no changes to the list.
Of the 69,661 total coronavirus tests performed in Merced County so far, 15.35% have returned with a positive result.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 5:27 PM.
