Two days brings nearly 500 new COVID-19 infections to Fresno County. Madera joins closures
Almost 500 more confirmed coronavirus infections were reported Monday afternoon in Fresno County.
In another significant development, Madera County was added to a state monitoring list.
Fresno County’s cases – part of almost 1,000 cases over the long Independence Day holiday weekend in the county – pushed the total number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the county to 6,599 since the first cases were reported four months ago.
One additional death was reported over the weekend, bringing the number of lives lost to the virus to 78 in Fresno County. Six other deaths were reported across the region.
Across the central San Joaquin Valley, the number of new cases announced by health officials on Monday as a result of coronavirus testing grew by more than 1,200 – by far the most cases reported in the region in a single day since the global pandemic reached this part of the state. In addition to the one new fatality in Fresno County, six more deaths were reported Monday by officials in Kings and Madera counties.
Including Friday, the start of the holiday weekend, more than 1,900 new COVID-19 infections were confirmed in the six-county region.
Fresno County: 489 new cases Monday, 6,599 to date; one new death, 78 to date; 5,120 active cases; 1,401 recovered cases. As of Sunday, 163 patients were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Kings County: 44 new cases on Monday, 2,717 to date; four new deaths, 37 to date; 1,038 active cases, 1,642 recovered. Kings County’s totals include 1,148 cases associated with state prisons in the county.
Madera County: 135 new cases, 713 to date; two new deaths, seven to date; no update on active or recovered cases; 21 people hospitalized as of Sunday.
Merced County: 258 new cases Monday, 1,530 to date; no new deaths, 11 to date; 869 active cases, 650 recovered cases; 24 people hospitalized as of Sunday.
Mariposa County: No new cases Monday, 31 to date; no new deaths, one to date; 12 active cases, 18 recovered cases. One person was hospitalized, the county reported.
Tulare County: 320 new cases Monday, 4,947 to date; no new deaths, 136 to date; 1,488 active cases, 3,323 recovered cases; 80 people hospitalized as of Sunday.
Madera County on state list
Madera County has joined Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties on the state Department of Public Health’s monitoring list. An “elevated disease transmission” of more than 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents over a 14-day period. Monday was the third day of being on the state’s list, which triggers a three-week closure of bars, indoor restaurant operations and indoor entertainment venues such as movie theaters, museums and cardrooms.
In addition to the high transmission rate of new cases, the county has exceeded the threshold of 8% positive results from coronavirus testing. As of Monday, Madera County reported that 11.1% of its coronavirus tests were coming back as positive over the past seven days.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 5:18 PM.
