Amid shelter-in-place orders, Merced County COVID-19 numbers continue to worsen
As new shutdown rules went into effect throughout the San Joaquin Valley, Merced County’s latest pandemic update Monday painted a bleak local picture.
Three more residents have died since Friday from COVID-19. Local novel coronavirus-caused fatalities now tally 194.
All three of the deaths were women, age 65 or older, the Merced County Department of Public Health reported. Officials haven’t said whether they have pre-existing conditions.
There have been 746 new infections in Merced County in the past three days. Saturday accounted for 280 new cases, Sunday 318 and Monday 148. A total of 13,637 laboratory tests have now been confirmed positive in Merced County since the pandemic’s start.
Six more residents have been hospitalized due to severe COVID-19, raising the current number of hospitalizations to 70. Half of those patients are being cared for in Merced County facilities.
Officials worried about ICU numbers regionally
Regional hospitalizations are at the forefront of state officials’ concerns. The latest set of state-mandated shutdown orders impacting Merced and 11 other counties in the San Joaquin Valley aim to curb dwindling intensive care unit availability in the region.
Any region with less than 15% of ICUs available is subject to the strict closure orders for at least three weeks. The rules include ending in-person dining, closing bars and wineries, as well as shutting several other economic sectors.
Of the five state-defined regions across California, the San Joaquin Valley ranks worst in terms of ICU capacity, according to the most recently available data. Just 6.3% of ICU beds were available across the 12 counties as of Sunday night.
The 11-county Southern California region is the only other jurisdiction also subject to the lockdown as of Monday. There, 10.9% of ICU beds are free.
ICU capacity in the other three regions are still high enough to avoid the closures, but state health officials expect most ICUs in those areas to also drop below the 15% mark in the coming days or weeks.
In Merced County specifically, seven ICU beds were available as of Sunday, according to the most recent state data. Merced County has a total 24 ICU beds. Eight of those were occupied by COVID-19 patients as of Sunday, according to the data.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 832 Merced County COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization — an increase of 11 since Friday.
More on latest Merced County COVID-19 numbers
Two new COVID-19 outbreaks were reported Monday at the Santa Nella Taco Bell and nonprofit Merced County Community Action Agency’s main office in Merced.
Previous outbreaks at Anberry Rehabilitation Center Atwater and Livingston Farmers Association were removed from the active outbreak list, which currently numbers 36.
Outbreaks are defined as at least three laboratory confirmed cases linked to a workplace within 14 days. However, just one positive case constitutes an outbreak at a skilled nursing facility on account of the high risk setting.
Outbreaks are closed and removed from the list when no further cases are confirmed in connection to the facility for two weeks.
Active cases are also reaching the all-time highs set in August. As of Monday, 2,249 cases are presumed active, marking the highest tally since Aug. 21.
Cases considered active are estimated based on the number of new known COVID-19 cases during the past two weeks.
Positive test results have consistently risen during recent weeks. For the past seven days, an average of 12.3% of COVID-19 tests have returned positive, according to Merced County Department of Public Health data. That’s more than 1% higher than the previous data report on Friday.
Testing positivity is one of several metrics used by the state to group counties into reopening tiers. Merced County has been subject to the strictest of closure rules for several weeks on account of its worsening COVID-19 demographics.
New COVID-19 testing in Atwater
County Public Health on Monday announced new mobile testing sites made possible via a collaboration with the state. The sites will be available throughout Atwater during December.
Merced County residents can utilize the mobile testing locations free of charge and regardless of insurance status Dec. 8-30.
Pre-registration and same-day registration is available online at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 1-888-634-1123. Testing is fast and painless, and results are typically sent via email within three to five days, according to a County Public Health news release.
The recent increase in local case counts and test positivity rate means COVID-19 testing is imperative, the release said.
“We understand that everyone is tired of COVID-19,” said Merced County Health Officer Dr. Salvador Sandoval in the release. “However, the Department strongly encourages Merced County residents to take advantage of testing resources in order to help the community and their loved ones.”
Even if residents do not feel ill or have had no known exposure to the virus, testing helps identify individuals in the early course of illness while they are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. This is key to controlling the virus’s spread.
“Please, get tested and continue to follow the preventative measures that can help reduce the chance of getting infected ourselves, or spreading the disease to our co-workers, friends, and loved ones,” Sandoval said.
