As data reporting issues linger, Fresno County adds 248 coronavirus cases

Fresno County added 248 coronavirus cases Sunday, even as regional and state health experts caution that current increases remain underreported because of a technical glitch.

The latest totals, posted by the California Department of Public Health based on new cases through Saturday night, bring the total number of confirmed positive test results for COVID-19 since March to 17,538.

But as the same state site notes, “Due to issues with the state’s electronic laboratory reporting system, these data represent an underreporting of actual positive cases in one single day.”

Still, the local case count marches upward. There were 259 cases added through Friday night in Fresno County, continuing a trend of roughly 250 or more that began July 16.

The lone exception was Aug. 3, according to the state, when there were 186 additional cases.

Deaths remained at 171, the second-highest total among central San Joaquin Valley counties. Tulare County had suffered 196 fatalities as of its most recent update Friday.

Current hospitalizations increased slightly, with 287 confirmed COVID-19-positive patients compared to 279 a day earlier. That is still down from 313 just nine days earlier.

There are another 40 patients hospitalized as suspected coronavirus cases.

The number of patients considered to have recovered was at 6,505 as of Saturday.

Most other central Valley counties have not updated their totals since Friday or earlier and typically don’t provide new numbers on weekends.

The exception was Mariposa County, which added one positive result to bring its total to 61, with 55 people having recovered and one person hospitalized.

This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 4:04 PM.