Huge spike in Fresno County coronavirus cases. Was a California computer backlog to blame?
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 2,590 new coronavirus cases in Fresno County — which would be the biggest spike since the pandemic started in March.
It was a trend repeated across the state as California blew past the previous single-day record for new cases by nearly 20,000 and also reported the highest daily death toll of the pandemic.
The state added 53,711 lab-positive cases of COVID-19 and 293 deaths, compared to a previous high of 225 disclosed Saturday.
Shortly after the state’s numbers were updated, the Sacramento Bee’s Michael McGough reported, California Department of Public Health communications director Ali Bay clarified in a statement that the state has deployed a new “auto processing feature,” collaborating with local public health officers during the ongoing, intense surge.
The implementation of this technology resulted in a backlog of 12,630 previously unprocessed cases being updated into the cumulative total that Bay described as coming from “previous days.”
That leaves 41,081 new cases for Wednesday’s typical reporting period, which still marks California’s single-day record by a margin of nearly 6,000 cases.
Fresno County officials said they have not received an explanation from the state why the enormous one-day increase was reported.
The number of cases in Fresno County now stand at 47,316. No new deaths were reported as the Fresno County Department of Public Health only updates fatalities on Tuesdays and Fridays.
As of Tuesday, there have been a total of 26,742 people who have recovered, increasing by 548.
The region that makes up the central San Joaquin Valley had just 16 ICU beds available as of Tuesday.
Fresno County early Tuesday morning received 7,800 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, and about 40% of those were distributed to local hospitals.
Tulare County received doses of the vaccine Wednesday, and Kings County is expected to receive a shipment this week.
Hospital workers treating COVID-19 patients are first in line to receive the vaccine, which is voluntary.
Fresno County’s top health officials called the vaccine’s arrival “bittersweet” as patients continued to die and hospitals struggled to staff facilities.
Around the Valley
Wednesday case updates from central San Joaquin Valley counties:
Fresno County: 2,590 new cases, 47,316 to date; no additional deaths, 557 to date. Fresno County’s Department of Public Health only updates fatalities on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Kings County: 105 new cases and one death; 13,758 cases and 101 deaths to date.
Madera County: 149 new cases, 8,269 to date; 4 new deaths, 111 deaths to date.
Mariposa County: Two new cases, 183 total; no new deaths, four total.
Merced County: 548 new cases, 15,120 to date; no deaths, 207 to date.
Tulare County: 721 new cases, 27,390 to date; seven additional deaths, 339 to date.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 6:13 PM.
