Coronavirus updates: Fresno County tops 38,000 cases; Mariposa County into the red

Update, 3:15 p.m. Sunday

Fresno County surged past 38,000 total infections in the eight-month coronavirus pandemic, as new daily case figures were posted Sunday by the California Department of Public Health.

The county reported 294 additional positive results through Saturday night, raising the total since the outbreak began in March to 38,288.

There were 278 confirmed coronavirus patients hospitalized by the county, an increase of four from the previous day; another 32 suspected COVID-positive patients were in the hospital, an increase of 12 from a day earlier.

Confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients in the ICU totaled 57 in Fresno County, an increase of three.

Prisons drive Kings County caseload

Prison facilities in Avenal and Corcoran sent Kings County’s totals dramatically higher over the weekend.

There were 334 more cases in the prisons posted in a Saturday update, bringing the total to 5,388, with 1,543 still active. Ten inmates have died, though no new deaths were reported Saturday.

Among the general populace in Kings County, another 72 cases raised the total to 5,705, with 1,037 active (an increase of 63).

Kings County patients in the general populace who are considered recovered now total 4,591 (an increase of nine). Deaths remained at 77.

Here is the original story

Last week, California had just two counties listed in Tier 1 of its Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Now it has none.

Mariposa had been listed in the yellow Tier 1 (denoting minimal risk of the coronavirus contagion) until last week when it was moved into the more restrictive orange Tier 2.

On Saturday, the county was shifted further back, into red Tier 3.

The red tier denotes substantial risk of coronavirus infection and a county-wide positivity rate of 5%-8% over seven days.

Six California counties are listed in the red Tier 3 and one is listed in the less restrictive orange Tier 2. The remaining 51 counties (including the rest of central San Joaquin Valley) are in the most restrictive purple tier.

Tier assignments can be changed at any time and can occur more than once a week, when deemed necessary, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Mariposa County has seen just 118 total positive cases, according to state data. Of those, 32 were reported over the last two weeks.

Across the region, case counts and deaths

California health officials report 1,183,320 total cases of COVID-19 and 19,089 deaths. More than 23 million tests have been administered.

Fresno County has reported 481 deaths related to the infection, including four Friday.

Madera County has reported 6,050 cases and 85 deaths, according to data from the state through Friday night. Merced County reported 11,550 and 179 deaths; Tulare County has 20,634 and 308 deaths.

Faithful America urges Fresno bishop to recant on vaccines

The progressive Christian activist group Faithful America has issued a petition urging Diocese of Fresno Bishop Joseph Brennan to take back remarks he made in a video earlier this month.

In the video, Brennan warned Roman Catholics against jumping on the “COVID-19 vaccine bandwagon” and said Catholics must “always and only pursue vaccines that are ethical and morally acceptable. The use of fetal stem cell material at any stage of a vaccine’s development means it would be off-limits to Catholics.

Brennan mentions by name the vaccine made by Pfizer, even though it is listed as “ethically uncontroversial” by the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute.

The petition, which has been signed more than 10,000 times, calls for Brennan and Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland to “recant, apologize, and join other bishops in encouraging Catholics to take the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines once available.”

This story was originally published November 29, 2020 at 9:42 AM.