Coronavirus update: Fresno prepares emergency morgue space as infections skyrocket
Since the pandemic began, about one third of the region’s total coronavirus infections have come in December alone.
As of Wednesday, Fresno County reported 1,072 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 59,640 since the pandemic began. Of those cases, about 21,000 – or more than 35% – have cropped up just this month.
No new deaths were reported Wednesday, keeping the total to 646. County health officials report deaths on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Fresno County had 590 hospitalized coronavirus patients as of Wednesday, where 109 were in the ICU.
Hospitals in Fresno County only have 149 licensed ICU beds for adults, but county health officials said facilities have made more room for patients by shuffling space inside their walls to create additional capacity. But as of this week, just seven ICU beds were available for new patients.
December has now become the deadliest month of the pandemic in Fresno County and across the central San Joaquin Valley, with 165 fatalities reported in Fresno County and 329 throughout the six-county region. One out of four coronavirus-related deaths in Fresno County, and one out of five in the Valley, have been reported since Dec. 1.
The county and its hospitals are bracing for a rise in fatalities by bringing in refrigerated trailer units to provide additional morgue space for coronavirus victims.
On Wednesday, the number of people who had tested positive for the virus across the Valley topped 132,000, driven by almost 1,100 new cases reported in Fresno County by state health officials and more than 2,400 across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties. Of that total, nearly 43,000 cases are the result of positive tests confirmed since Dec. 1. The Valley is now experiencing an average of 2,828 new cases a day.
A total of 2,343 new cases and 28 new deaths were reported within the six-county region on Wednesday, while 132,311 residents had contracted the disease. Of those, 1,479 have died.
The most recent state data from earlier this week shows hospitals across the Valley had more than 1,000 patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, including 170 who were in the ICU.
California surpasses 2 million cases
As of Wednesday, California exceeded 2 million total coronavirus cases, with the total standing at 2,009,017 since the pandemic began. At least 44,962 new cases were reported on Wednesday, just two days before Christmas where families would typically be celebrating with one another. An additional 345 people who have died were reported Wednesday, bringing the total to 23,651 deaths.
On average, about 44,162 new people are getting sick by the day, increasing by 65% in the past two weeks, while about 252 California residents are dying daily, rising by nearly 73%.
Statewide, about 18,448 people remain hospitalized, 68% more than the average two weeks ago. Of those patients, 3,827 are in the ICU.
With Congress passing a new federal stimulus package that would provide financial relief to struggling Americans and businesses and earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday expressed support for increasing the amount in COVID-19 relief checks from $600 to $2,000.
Newsom threw his support behind the Republican president’s proposal Wednesday, one day after Trump said Congress should amend the COVID-19 relief bill to reflect larger checks for Americans. Congress sent President Donald Trump a stimulus relief bill that would give most Americans a $600 check, but the president said Tuesday he’s unhappy with the amount.
Newsom said larger paychecks would make a significant difference in California – putting “upwards of $60 billion” into the state’s economy instead of $18 billion.
Trump has not said whether he plans to veto the stimulus bill, which would also extend federal unemployment benefits that are set to expire next week.
U.S. teetering on the edge of 20 million cases
With an additional 227,522 new coronavirus cases reported Wednesday, the U.S. tally of total cases has now reached more than 18.5 million. Over the past week, an average of 213,472 people have been getting sick every day.
The number of deaths grew to 326,413 Wednesday, up by 3,411 from the day before. Hospitalizations nationwide stood at 119,463 as of Wednesday, according to a New York Times analysis.
Testing and case reporting during the holidays is likely to skew the data in the coming days and weeks, as many states have said they will not be reporting data on certain days like Christmas and New Year’s. States will resume their normal reporting patterns in early January.
U.S. reaches deal with Pfizer for additional vaccine doses
The U.S. and the drugmaker Pfizer reached an agreement Wednesday that would provide the country with an additional 100 million doses of the company’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of July, tempering fears about a potential shortage, The New York Times reports.
As a result of the latest shipments, the U.S. has secured enough doses to vaccinate about 60 million people out of about 260 Americans eligible to be vaccinated. In addition to Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company Moderna will also be providing the U.S. with vaccine doses. Together, both companies have pledged to distribute 400 million doses in the next six to seven months, which is enough to vaccinate 200 million people as both vaccines require two doses per person.
The U.S. government agreed to pay Pfizer $1.95 billion for the second shipment of its vaccine or $19.50 per dose, the company confirmed in a statement.