Coronavirus update, Oct. 17: Death toll climbs as Fresno County approaches 30,000 cases

This week, Fresno County stayed in the red tier in the state’s color-coded coronavirus plan despite a recent rise in cases.

Health department officials on Friday reported five additional COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 429 since the pandemic erupted in March.

Including 77 new infections reported Friday and 69 added Saturday, a total of 29,796 have been reported in Fresno County, and 19,612 have recovered.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Fresno County Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra urged residents to continue observing safety precautions to help the county move up into the less-restrictive orange tier under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

“I think that we are moving in the right direction,” Vohra said Friday. “And, that’s thanks to everyone choosing to wear masks, staying home if they feel sick, keeping their distance, and practicing all of the other safety messages.”

“We are trying to be very safe. We do not want to see outbreaks in schools,” said David Luchini, deputy director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health. “First, (because of) the health of the staff and the students, and then, that’s another way to send us back to purple.”

Some of Fresno County’s larger schools could reopen in the coming weeks, but no dates have been set.

But that doesn’t mean schools will open.

Central Unified, the county’s third-largest school district, announced earlier this week that campuses would remain closed at least until after the New Year.

Hospitalizations drop in Saturday update

The latest Fresno County totals released Saturday by state and county health officials, based on reports through Friday night, offered some good news.

There was a decline of three in the number of patients currently hospitalized, cutting that total to 92.

The seven-day average for new, daily cases in the county is 84.

In Kings County, nine cases were added to bring the total number of positive results since March to 8,135 — 4,501 among the general populace and 3,634 in state prison facilities in Avenal and Corcoran. All nine new cases were in the general population.

Fourteen more people were considered recovered among the general population, with 526 cases listed as active.

Active cases in the prisons remained unchanged at 1,060.

California deaths

The death toll in California climbed is on pace to reach 17,000 over the next week.

A total of 16,830 Californias have died from COVID-19 since March.

The state has averaged 60 daily deaths over the last two weeks, down from a high of 142 in mid-August.

Around the Valley

Tulare County reported 48 new cases and one additional death, which moved the totals to 17,120 cases and 275 deaths since the pandemic started.

Merced County added 12 cases and no new deaths on Friday, which brings the totals to 9,314 and 152, respectively.

Kings County reported 11 new cases to reach 8,126 since the pandemic began, but there was no change to the 83 deaths, according to officials.

Madera County added 14 cases to bring the total caseload to 4,836. No new deaths changed the total of 73, officials said in the Friday update.

Mariposa County has reported 77 cases and two deaths.

This story was originally published October 17, 2020 at 9:48 AM.