Fresno County health officer ‘perplexed’ by spike in coronavirus cases this week
More than 9,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the central San Joaquin Valley and 200 people have died, according to new numbers reported on Friday.
Fresno County so far has the most positive cases out of the six-county region including Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare. Fresno County added more than 120 new cases and four deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 3,187 and 66 deaths. So far, 37,731 tests have been conducted, and the positive rate is about 8.8%. Over 900 people have recovered.
Fresno County Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra said on Friday he was “perplexed” by the rising numbers.
“Looking at the numbers for this week, I was really perplexed, and I remained perplexed,” he said. “And I’m hoping that we can really all work together as a community to try to contain – as best as we can, with the limited tools that we have – the number of infections and the spread of infections.”
Tulare County also reported four additional deaths on Friday, bringing its total to 111. Tulare County added 42 new positive cases.
Kings County reported two new coronavirus-related deaths Friday, as well as 81 new positive tests for COVID 19.
The most recent deaths involved two people at least 65 years old. Their deaths were the 11th and 12th COVID-related deaths for Kings County.
Kings County has had a total of 997 people infected with the virus.
Nineteen new confirmed cases on Friday bring Madera County’s total number to 314. Four people have died there, and 177 have recovered. Merced added 26 new cases on Friday. Mariposa has reported 18 positive cases and one death.”
As of Thursday, the six-county region saw a new high for hospitalizations at 189. This number does not include patients who are hospitalized and suspected of having COVID-19.
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 4:45 PM.