Coronavirus update: Fresno County at 400 new cases a day; patients get second vaccine doses

As many in Fresno County begin receiving a second round of the COVID-19 vaccine, the county’s Department of Public Health is assessing its vaccine stock weekly to determine when it will open up vaccines to more groups of people.

First doses should be available at the Fresno Fairgrounds, following the county’s vaccine schedule, starting the week of Feb. 15. Other providers, such United Health Centers, may start providing first does to eligible patients as early as Monday.

To be notified when you or a family members are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, there is a COVID-19 vaccine interest form on the Fresno County Department of Public Health’s website.

Vaccine info for Madera and Tulare counties can be found on the county websites.

Fresno County at more than 90K cases

The vaccine rollout is unfolding as the county adds an average of 400 new positive coronavirus cases daily. There were 431 new cases reported on Sunday, according to data reported by California Department of Public Health. Fresno County has now seen 90,944 positive cases of COVID-19, placing it No. 8 in the state for positive cases.

Los Angels County leads the state with more than 1.1 million cases, or close to a third of California’s 3,335,926 cases.

The positivity rate in Fresno County — the percentage of tests that come back positive for the virus — continues to drop. It is currently at 11.4%. That’s just above the state average and down from nearly 20% in mid-January. If the county moves below 8%, it can move out of the purple tier, where the threat of coronavirus is considered “widespread.”

While Fresno County reported no new deaths over the weekend, 87 deaths were reported in the first week of February. As of Saturday, the county was averaging more than a dozen deaths per day over the past two weeks, the California Department of Public Health reported.

Fresno County has reported 1,224 COVID-19 related deaths since April.

Statistics from around the Valley

Madera County has a total of 14,807 positive cases and 184 related deaths as of Sunday.

Kings County reported an increase of 27 cases Sunday for a total of 21,246, including 7,170 at state-operated correctional facilities in Avenal and Corcoran. The county also added two new deaths due to complications of COVID-19, bringing the total in the county to 194. Seventeen of the deaths have been among the state prison inmates.

Mariposa County has seen 379 cases. It is still reporting five related deaths.

Merced County is reporting 27,134 positive cases and 362 related deaths on Monday.

Tulare County did not provide updates over the weekend. It had 45,349 positive cases and 645 deaths as of Saturday, according to state data.

This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 8:58 AM.