Coronavirus cases stay on downslope for Fresno, Valley after winter peaks
The smallest single-day report of new coronavirus cases since early October in Fresno County was reported by state health officials on Thursday, marking a continued slide in new infections revealed through testing since the peak of a winter surge in December and January.
The California Department of Public Health confirmed 53 people newly infected with COVID-19 – the lowest figure since Oct. 9, before a tumultuous two months of new cases that health officials believe were fueled at least in part by large gatherings of families and friends for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and News Year’s holidays.
That surge included 15 days in which at least 1,000 new infections were reported.
Just one month ago, on Jan. 25, 534 new cases were acknowledged in Fresno County – about 10 times more cases than were revealed Thursday. The county has seen an average of 177 new cases each day over the past week.
Since the first local case of COVID-19 was confirmed almost a year ago, 97,794 people in Fresno County have tested positive for the virus, whether or not they ever experienced symptoms.
Also on Thursday, the Fresno County Department of Public Health reported 10 additional deaths attributed to coronavirus. That pushed the number of residents who have lost their lives to the disease to 1,422 since the county’s first fatality in April 2020.
Around the Valley
As a region, the six-county central San Joaquin Valley surpassed 209,000 COVID-19 infections to date, and the death toll is almost 3,000. Thursday case updates from neighboring Valley counties included:
Kings County: 35 new cases, 21,951 to date; no additional deaths, 218 to date. The totals include more than 7,200 cases and 17 deaths among inmates at state prisons in Avenal and Corcoran.
Madera County: 37 new cases, 15,339 to date; no additional deaths, 209 to date.
Mariposa County: No new cases, 394 to date; no additional deaths, seven to date.
Merced County: 41 new cases, 28,915 to date; one additional death, 395 to date.
Tulare County: 54 new cases, 47,784 to date; seven additional deaths, 746 to date.
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Coronavirus cases stay on downslope for Fresno, Valley after winter peaks."
