Active Merced County COVID cases dip, but deaths, hospitalizations stall progress
As California as a whole sees its COVID-19 stats trending lower, the situation in Merced County is reflective of much of the San Joaquin Valley, where low vaccination rates combined with the threat of the delta variant have drawn out the pandemic’s latest case surge.
Merced County’s number of probable active COVID-19 cases showed some positive progress as of Thursday, falling to 1,829 from 1,925 seven days earlier.
But the local positivity rate and new daily cases per 100,000 residents each rose to 10.4% and 42.7, respectively, from 8.7% and 40.7. Thursday’s statewide cases per 100,000 residents numbered far less at 19.9, according to state data.
To date, 39,291 total COVID-19 cases have been documented in Merced County. Cases over the last seven days counted 987.
Plus, the first 16 days of September have accounted for 26 of the county’s 539 total COVID-19-related deaths.
Like Merced, neighboring Valley counties too are struggling with COVID-19 numbers to the point of triggering state-mandated precautions. The Valley’s regional intensive care unit capacity has consistently remained below 10%, meaning the surge protocol that went into effect Sept. 3 would stay for another week.
The Valley was the first region to trigger surge protocol orders after falling below 10% for three consecutive days and has yet to recover. As of Friday, 8.7% of the area’s ICU beds were available — a mild improvement from last week’s 8.2%.
No other region has joined the Valley in being subject to the orders yet, though the Greater Sacramento region’s ICU capacity had fallen just below 10% for a day as of Friday, according to state numbers.
Progress marred by deaths, low vaccinations, outbreaks
Merced County’s own ICU availability counted four free beds on Thursday — the same number as the week prior — the most recent state data shows.
County residents actively hospitalized for COVID-19 tallied 46, down from 53 last week. Thirteen of those patients have COVID-19 cases severe enough that they were being cared for in the ICU as of Thursday.
Severe COVID-19 cases that led to death numbered 12 in just the last week. Merced County’s pandemic fatality toll totaled 539 as of Thursday, the county’s most recently available data shows.
Merced County’s top health officer Dr. Salvador Sandoval recently told the Sun-Star that a vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated residents.
While local COVID-19 vaccinations rose by 1% over the last week to 36.6% of Merced County’s total population, that number is comparatively on the low end of the statewide spectrum.
Some nearby Bay Area counties stand in stark contrast with over 70% of their total populations fully vaccinated. Other rural counties like Merced in the Valley and Northern California regions count fewer than 35% of residents vaccinated.
Unvaccinated adults are likely a major source of COVID-19 transmission in the Merced community, especially among children younger than 12 who are too young to receive the vaccine, according to local public health officials.
Pediatric COVID-19 cases showed some progress and decreased to 556 estimated active cases, down from 647 one week before.
Still, pediatric cases account for just over a third of all county infections. During previous pandemic waves, pediatric cases typically made up 11-13% of total cases, according to Merced County Public Health officials.
The reopening of campuses this school year for in-person instruction meant a quick return to the local COVID-19 outbreak list. As of Thursday, 22 of Merced County’s 39 outbreak sites were among schools. The latest tally counted two more total outbreaks since last week and one additional school outbreak site.
Sandoval has said that ensuring the adults children interact with are vaccinated is the best way to protect young kids from the virus.
More information on vaccines can be found on the vaccinatemercedcounty.com website. Information about walk-in clinics or other ways to schedule free COVID-19 vaccinations are available on the state’s website at myturn.ca.gov.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 1:37 PM.
