COVID-19 deaths soar in Fresno County. How many have died in the new year?
More than 130 deaths blamed on the novel coronavirus have been reported less than two weeks into the new year in Fresno County by state and county health officials, continuing to reflect the effects of a winter surge of cases that has continued through the holiday season.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health on Friday acknowledged a total of 802 deaths since March 2020, an increase of 91 deaths since Jan. 1. On Tuesday, the county reported an additional 44 fatalities from COVID-19. Together, the two updates represent 135 deaths since the start of 2021, and a cumulative total of 846 to date.
More than 11,200 new confirmed COVID-19 infections in Fresno County have also been identified through testing since Jan. 1, including almost 2,900 new cases over the past three days.
As cases and fatalities continue to mount in Fresno County, the number of people sickened enough by the coronavirus to require treatment in the county’s hospitals also remains high. As of Monday, a total of 647 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized for treatment, including 102 in intensive-care units.
Rolling out the vaccines
The updated Fresno County totals come as county health officials outlined their planned schedule for expanding the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations to a larger number of people. Since mid-December, the limited number of vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna were initially targeted toward “front-line” medical workers dealing with coronavirus patients in hospitals and other high-risk environments.
Those “Tier 1” vaccinations are continuing this month and include workers in psychiatric and correctional facility hospitals, residents and staff in skilled nursing facilities for older or medically vulnerable patients, paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and dialysis centers.
Vaccinations have also begun for some “Tier 2” workers, including patients in facilities that provide continuous supervision and support care; field staff for public health agencies; primary care clinics such as health centers for low-income residents, rural health centers, clinics at correctional facilities; and urgent-care clinics.
Home health and in-home support workers, and community health workers, are also part of Tier 2 but have not yet begun to receive the vaccines.
Also anticipated this month is Tier 3, including specialty clinics, laboratory workers, dental and other health clinics, and pharmacy staff who aren’t included in earlier tiers.
Future phases in February will include senior citizens ages 75 and older, food and agriculture workers, education and child-care workers, and emergency services personnel. In March, vaccine doses are expected to be made available for seniors ages 65 and up with underlying medical conditions, inmates in jails and prisons, workers in the transportation and logistics industries, critical manufacturing, and workers in the industrial, commercial, residential and sheltering construction industries, as well as the homeless.
Another expansion of the vaccine availability is planned for April, for people ages 50 to 74; people ages 16 to 49 with an underlying medical problem that puts them at higher risk; workers in water and waste management, defense, energy, chemical and hazardous waste; communication and information technology; financial services; and government operations and community services.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots, given several weeks apart, to provide full protection from COVID-19. How long that protection lasts, however, remains a mystery because the vaccines are so new, said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer.
Around the Valley
Counties across the central San Joaquin Valley provided these COVID-19 updates on Tuesday:
Fresno County: 960 new cases reported by the state Department of Public Health, 76,581 to date; 44 additional deaths, 846 to date.
Kings County: 199 new cases, 18,110 to date; no additional deaths, 110 to date. About 6,900 of the cases, and 15 deaths, are among inmates at state prisons in Avenal and Corcoran.
Madera County: 119 new cases, 12,389 to date; four additional deaths, 130 to date.
Mariposa County: Three new cases, 331 to date; no additional deaths, four to date.
Merced County: 294 new cases, 22,649 to date; two additional deaths, 285 to date.
Tulare County: 625 new cases, 38,909 to date; 10 additional deaths, 474 to date.
Throughout the region, 2,200 new cases and 60 additional deaths were reported on Tuesday. Valleywide, almost 169,000 people have been infected with the virus since March 2020, including 1,849 who have died.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 3:44 PM.
