COVID update: State tops 7 million vaccine doses; Fresnans arrested in Hawaii; new county totals
California has administered more than 7 million doses of the vaccines to fight COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed via tweet Saturday.
State data shows, among the county’s that make up the central San Joaquin Valley, more than 153,000 have been administered in Fresno County, 53,000 in Tulare County, nearly 29,000 in Madera, more than 28,000 in Merced, just over 11,000 in Kings and more than 1,200 in Mariposa.
In Fresno, the number lags where local public health officials would like it to be. The county, like others, continues to wait out dose shortages, exacerbated by the cold front that swept across and devastated parts of the nation.
Meanwhile, coronavirus cases continue to rise throughout the central Valley.
Fresno County reported 239 new cases Saturday for a total of 93,973. But other data points are slowly improving.
The test positivity rate dropped to 9.3%, and 15 COVID-19 patients went home from Fresno County hospitals compared to the previous day. There were 265 confirmed positive and another 27 suspected cases in the hospital through Friday night, declining from the 289 confirmed and 18 suspected through Thursday.
Nevertheless, Fresnans are traveling — and getting in trouble with the law for it. Hawaii’s Attorney General’s office reported the arrest of two Fresno residents earlier this week after they violated that state’s quarantine requirements.
Around the Valley
Here are the latest numbers from counties in the region that posted updates Saturday:
- 56 new cases; 21,853 total. That includes 7,201 cases, an increase of eight, in state prison facilities in Avenal and Corcoran.
- 1 new death; 214 total, including 17 in the prisons.
- 35 new cases; 15,153 total
- 0 new deaths; 201 total
- 0 new cases; 389 total
- 0 new deaths; 7 total
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 2:46 PM.