Coronavirus update, Nov. 2: Fresno averaging more than 100 cases daily as winter approaches
A total of 31,558 coronavirus cases have been reported in Fresno County since the pandemic began. There have been a total of 443 deaths. The county reports deaths twice a week.
A total of 94 people are currently hospitalized as of Sunday, while 20,692 have recovered countywide. A 14-day rolling average shows the county continues to report at least 100 new cases per day, while its positivity rate hovers around 5.5%.
There were 53 deaths countywide and 105 deaths reported across the central San Joaquin Valley in October, according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard. A total of 1,053 people have died from the coronavirus across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties.
A day before Halloween, Fresno County Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra urged residents who were planning on celebrating to remain cautious throughout the weekend. He said the county previously saw spikes days after Memorial Day, and the county could avoid a repeat if residents follow protocols.
The number of new positive cases in Fresno County continues to climb, with more than 100 new cases each day. With flu season and winter quickly approaching, local public health experts worry coronavirus infections across Fresno County will continue to increase. Out of the total case count, the county has reported more than 10,000 active cases.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health will begin providing flu shots on Nov. 3 to residents who make appointments. Residents can sign up to make an appointment here.
State, national updates
California’s total death toll reached 17,667 statewide since the pandemic first hit in March. California reported 30 new deaths on Friday. Nearly a million people have contracted the virus, totaling 926,534 cases as of Friday. A 14-day rolling average shows California has recorded around 4,230 daily new cases, while the statewide positivity rate continues to hover within the three percent range.
The national death toll from COVID-19 has reached 230,937 as of Monday morning. More than 9.2 million people have contracted the virus. As of Monday, 427 new COVID-19 deaths and 74,236 new cases were reported across the country, according to a New York Times analysis.
The country has seen a 45% increase in new cases over the last two weeks as outbreaks continue to grow. Since the nation entered into the fall season, small and mid-sized cities in the Midwest and West added alarming new increases in cases at the highest rates. Rural areas, which had previously reported very few cases, also became hotspots.
Deaths averaged around 800 per day by the end of October, below spring levels.
Just one day before the election, President Donald Trump on Monday morning suggested he might fire Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, after a surge in new COVID-19 cases, The New York Times reports.
Speaking at a crowded rally in Florida around midnight, Trump listened as the audience chanted “Fire Fauci! Fire Fauci!”
After a brief pause of silence, Trump responded by telling his supporters to not “tell anybody” that he was thinking about firing Fauci but only after the election.
“Let me wait until a little bit after the election,” he said. “I appreciate the advice.”