Merced County reports 8 new COVID-19 deaths, as surge of cases continues
The Merced County Department of Public Health reported eight new deaths Wednesday bringing the total local novel coronavirus fatalities to 316.
There have been 20 COVID-19 related deaths reported since Friday and 56 deaths since Jan. 1 this year.
Of the latest deaths, five were man and three were women.
Four were over the age of 65, three were between the ages of 50 and 64 and one was between the ages of 35 and 49. Six had underlying health conditions and it wasn’t known whether the other two had underlying health conditions.
Wednesday marked the opening of the Merced County vaccination distribution clinics in Merced and Los Banos. Health care workers and others in the Phase IA priority group can receive a vaccination.
That county said it will administer the limited supply of the vaccines to eligible individuals by appointment only. Registration will be done through the county’s newly launched website and additional vaccination sites and plans will be activated as more of the vaccine becomes available.
The county had 540 doses of the vaccination available for distribution on Tuesday.
There were 118 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Tuesday, bringing the total of residents infected with the virus to 24, 570 since the start of the pandemic.
There are currently 3,655 cases considered active. The number of residents hospitalized in Merced County due to the virus is 60.
Vaccination rates low in the Valley
About 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been handed out in the state since drug companies received emergency approval from federal regulators last month.
That equates to about 35 vaccinations for every 1,000 California residents as of Sunday.
Yet in Fresno and the rest of the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, the pace of vaccinations is less than half the statewide average – just over 17 people vaccinated per 1,000 residents, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
That’s the lowest rate among six regions of the state.
About 2% of Merced County residents have been vaccinated, according to the county Department of Health. That equates to 20 vaccinations for every 1,000 residents.
Earlier this week, health officials said Merced County has received fewer vaccine doses than neighboring counties due to the State’s vaccine distribution formula. County officials are currently advocating for larger quantities.
Merced County has received 6,025 doses of the vaccination to date.
The demand for more vaccines isn’t limited to Merced County, it’s statewide.
Fresno County requested an additional 20,000 doses from the state this week, but was notified yesterday that it would only receive 5,100 more doses of the Moderna vaccine, said Joe Prado, community health division manager for the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
The limited number of available doses coming to local counties come as demand for vaccines is ramping up, after state and federal officials announced last week that senior citizens over the age of 65 would be immediately eligible, along with health care workers.
Other California regions
The central and southern San Joaquin Valley region has, as of Sunday, administered the second-fewest number of doses among the six regions in the state.
The seven counties in that Valley area, with a collective population of just over 3 million people, had given a little more than 52,400 shots – or about 17 shots per 1,000 residents.
By contrast, the largest number of vaccinations have been given in the region covering Los Angeles and the central California coast to San Luis Obispo County. In that five-county region, with a population of almost 15 million, nearly 553,000 shots have been given, or about 37 per 1,000 residents.
But the state has largely aimed its allocations of vaccines toward regions with the highest numbers of doctors, nurses and other health professionals who are most directly exposed to coronavirus patients at hospitals and other medical settings.
That’s one likely explanation for why the number of doses administered is far higher in Los Angeles and the Bay Area than in less-populated areas of the state.
Around the Valley
Here’s how COVID-19 cases and deaths increased in the Valley on Wednesday:
Fresno County: 715 new cases (83,200 total) and 968 total deaths.
Tulare County: 319 new cases (42,186 total) and nine new deaths (515 total).
Kings County: 153 new cases (19,588 total) and three new deaths (148 total).
Madera County: 85 new cases (13,528 total) and 151 total deaths.
Mariposa County: No new cases. 346 total cases and four total deaths.
Stanislaus County: 239 new cases (43,121 total) and eight new deaths (766 total).
The Fresno Bee and Sacramento Bee have contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 6:47 PM.
