Merced County total coronavirus cases near 400, Valley counties report higher numbers
Total Merced County coronavirus cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic hit 391 on Thursday, with four new infections confirmed by Merced County Department of Public Health.
The four new cases reported Thursday are the lowest daily number reported this week. The county saw its biggest daily leap yet Monday at 23 cases and another significant increase Wednesday with 15 cases.
The week’s influx in new infections boosted the county’s active case tally. Active cases held steady at 111 Wednesday, but were still substantially higher than last week’s dip to 69 actively infected residents.
Total Merced County hospitalizations and deaths held stable at 44 and seven respectively Thursday. Residents recovered from COVID-19 tally 273 Thursday.
County Public Health announced this week that it will begin demobilizing its coronavirus response center June 15, with staggered scaling back throughout the month.
Officials say department staff need to get back to regular duties that were put on the back burner during the pandemic, before a second COVID-19 wave can possibly hit.
“There definitely are concerns, but we have to play a balancing act,” said County Health Officer Dr. Salvador Sandoval when asked about demobilizing after the week’s increase in active cases.
The department will continue to monitor the situation — especially hospitalizations and hospital capacity, Sandoval said. If needed, County Public Health can mobilize again rapidly if there is a surge in infections, he said.
In California as of Thursday, there are 139,281 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,881 deaths.
Coronavirus around the Valley
Madera County’s case total stands at 188 after county health officials announced 10 additional confirmed infections total.
Mariposa County reports 16 total cases, one fatality, 15 recovered and no one hospitalized.
Stanislaus County’s case count rose from 1,023 Wednesday to 1,072 Thursday — an increase of 49 new infections. Recoveries also rose, but by less, from 741 to 761. Deaths remained at 33.
Fresno County’s number of new confirmed infections rose by 77 on Thursday afternoon, according to the county’s Department of Public Health. The deaths reported Thursday raised the total number of lives lost to the respiratory disease COVID-19 to 51. The cumulative number of people who have tested positive for the contagion in the Fresno County now stands at 2,395.
Tulare County health officials earlier in the day added 43 new cases to their total, bringing the county to a region-leading 2,475 infections since the first cases in the Valley were reported in early March. To date, Tulare County has lost 98 of its residents to the virus.
Fresno and Tulare counties each reported two new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing to 166 the number of fatalities blamed on the novel coronavirus in the central San Joaquin Valley in three months of pandemic.
As cases and deaths rise, so too do the number of people hospitalized for the disease.
More Valley residents were hospitalized for confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday than at any time since the contagion reached the region. Across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties, 145 patients were being treated in hospitals, including 39 receiving care in intensive-care units.
Those figures don’t include another 50 patients suspected of having COVID-19 and in hospitals for symptoms consistent with the disease but who had not been confirmed by testing.
The Fresno Bee’s Tim Sheehan contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 6:43 PM.
