Merced County’s COVID deaths improve, though new cases remain worse than state average
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The current COVID-19 wave that began in Merced County in early July has yet to flatten out, although some data points are showing positive improvement.
The Merced County Department of Public Health’s latest COVID-19 numbers released Friday showed the pandemic has been less deadly over the last week.
Three residents’ lives were lost to COVID-19 between Thursday and the seven days prior. The week before, 13 local residents died.
COVID-19-related fatalities during the pandemic’s totality number 586 as of Thursday. Total cases tally 42,811.
The county’s new daily cases per 100,000 residents, testing positivity, vaccination rate and average deaths per 100,000, however, continue to be worse than statewide averages. Here’s the latest data:
Merced County’s latest COVID-19 numbers
Merced County’s daily COVID-19 cases continued to count in the hundreds over the past week. Estimated total active cases and pediatric cases each rose slightly by 55 cases and six cases, respectively, to 1,212 and 349.
Pediatric cases continue to account for nearly 30% of county-wide cases. During past COVID-19 waves, residents younger than 18 typically accounted for less than 15% of all cases, according to Merced County public health officials.
Active local outbreaks rose by one location to 37 total, 22 of which were school sites.
Outbreaks are defined as three or more COVID-19 cases linked to a workplace within two weeks. Locations are removed from the list when no further cases are confirmed for two weeks.
Across California, average test positivity over the last week was 2.1% and new cases per 100,000 numbered 10.8, according to state data. Merced County during the same period reported 8.1% test positivity and 21.9 new cases per 100,000.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in Merced County are still high at 34 as of Thursday, but down from 37 the week before. State data reported that just one intensive care unit bed was free in Merced County on Thursday. A short supply of available ICU beds has mirrored the rise in cases shortly after July’s case spike began.
The 12-county San Joaquin Valley region is still experiencing the greatest shortage of staffed and available ICUs. The Valley had 10.5% ICU capacity as of Thursday, down from 11.8% the prior week.
The region with the second greatest shortage was the Bay Area, where 23.5% of beds were free. The statewide average is 24.4%.
Community vaccinations rose to 52.8% of eligible Merced County residents vaccinated as of Thursday, up from 51.9% the week before.
