Fresno region soars past 8,200 coronavirus cases, including 176 deaths since March
The central San Joaquin Valley has added more than 3,000 new confirmed COVID-19 infections among residents in June, and the number of deaths blamed on the novel coronavirus continues to inch higher.
Three people across the six-county region lost their lives since Monday – two in Fresno County and one in Madera County, according to reports issued Tuesday afternoon by the counties’ health departments. Fresno County also reported 82 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, while Madera County saw its single-biggest daily increase in cases – 24 on Tuesday – since the county’s first case was reported in early March.
Earlier Tuesday, Tulare County health officials announced 134 confirmed new cases with no new deaths, and Merced County added 84 cases. On Tuesday evening, Kings County reported 39 new cases and one additional death.
The counties’ collective reports of 363 new infections Tuesday sent the Valley’s cumulative total of confirmed cases soaring to more than 8,200, including 176 people who have died. Across the region, there are more than 4,100 active cases, while 3,900 have recovered from the virus.
Of 8,216 cases Valleywide, 3,040 have been reported since May ended.
“We anticipated that (new cases) would happen as we open more sectors and allow people to do more social activities, or going back to work perhaps,” Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer, said Tuesday. “We’re not out of the woods. We need to double down on all the safety precautions and measures.”
“We really need everyone in the community – that means our business leaders, our civic leaders and the general population – to really be mindful about coronavirus.”
Tuesday’s updates included:
Fresno County: 82 new cases, 2,788 to date; two new deaths, 57 to date; 1,921 active cases; 810 recovered.
Kings County: 39 new cases, 1,870 to date, including 1,020 associated with outbreaks at state prisons in the county; one new deaths, nine to date; 1,149 active cases; 712 recovered.
Madera County: 24 new cases, 250 to date; one new death, four to date; 88 active cases; 158 recovered.
Mariposa County: No new cases, 17 to date; no new deaths, one to date; 1 active case; 15 recovered.
Merced County: 84 new cases, 493 to date; no new deaths, seven to date; 177 active cases; 309 recovered.
Tulare County: 134 new cases, 2,798 to date; no new deaths, 98 to date; 804 active cases; 1,896 recovered,
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 5:25 PM.
