Total Merced County coronavirus cases rise above 500. One new death reported

Merced County Department of Health on Wednesday reported 25 new coronavirus infections, increasing the county’s total caseload since the beginning of the pandemic to 518.

Public health officials also reported a local person has died, bringing the total number of Merced County deaths related to COVID-19 to eight. Officials say the decedent was a man between age 35 and 50 who had no underlying health conditions.

In the past five days, the county has recorded a total of 109 new infections. The number of people actively infected is 191, a high for active local cases. A total of 319 people have recovered locally.

A total of 9,437 coronavirus tests have been performed in Merced County. Of those, 8,830 are pending and 98 are awaiting results.

Cases of coronavirus have been increasing throughout the central San Joaquin Valley — not just Merced County.

Fresno County reported 112 new cases of COVID-19 and four new deaths on Wednesday. In total, Fresno has seen 2,900 positive cases and 61 deaths.

Madera County reported 25 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total up to 275. Four people have died there, and 165 have recovered.

Stanislaus County has reported 1,322 positive cases, 35 deaths and 958 recoveries.

Tulare County health officials reported an additional eight deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 106. The county has reported 2,881 total cases and leads the six-county central San Joaquin Valley region in deaths, accounting for roughly half the deaths in the region.

As of Wednesday, there were 157,015 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,208 deaths statewide.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 5:49 PM.