COVID update: Fresno County adds 187 cases, but regional and state numbers still trending lower
Fresno County reported 187 new coronavirus cases Saturday, continuing to climb toward 100,000 since the pandemic broke out regionally a year ago but reflecting a continued slowing after a winter surge.
With the additional cases reported through Friday night and posted on the California health department website, there have been a total of 95,202 since March. No deaths were reported after 21 fatalities were added by the county Friday to push the total number of those who have died to 306.
For February, Fresno County has reported 306 deaths — 76 of those since Sunday. The total since last March stands at 1,443, with more than 3,000 in all dead from coronavirus-related complications across the six-county central San Joaquin Valley.
The 14-day test positivity rate average in the county was at 7.5% — a 2.9% decrease.
And the number of COVID confirmed and suspected coronavirus-positive patients requiring hospitalization continued to fall, down to 227 — eight fewer than the previous day and well off late December and January totals that routinely topped 600.
The number of those needing intensive-care unit treatment ticked up one to 50, with 16 ICU beds listed as available in the county. ICU patients were still at 100 as recently as Feb. 7.
COVID by the numbers in California
Health officials reported 3,470,877 confirmed cases to date statewide.
Officials said there were 5,151 newly recorded confirmed cases, with a seven-day test positivity rate of 2.5% and a 14-day rate of 2.8%.
Daily cases spiked to more than 50,000 in mid-December and early January, though the state continues to caution the numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of results can be delayed.
There have been 51,821 COVID-19-related deaths in California since the start of the pandemic.
As of Saturday, providers had reported administering a total of 8,491,076 coronavirus vaccine doses statewide. Some 11,158,090 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 11,480,035, which include the first and second dose, have been shipped, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Around the Valley
Here are the latest numbers from the counties in the central Valley region:
Kings County: 39 new cases and 22,042 total as of Saturday’s update. No additional deaths were reported, with 218 total. More than 7,200 cases, and 17 deaths, have been among inmates at state prisons in Avenal and Corcoran.
Madera County: No update Saturday; 17 new cases Friday, 15,356 to date; no additional deaths, 209 to date.
Mariposa County: No new cases, 395 to date; no additional deaths, seven to date.
Merced County: On Friday, the county reported 56 new cases, 28,971 to date; two additional deaths, 397 to date.
Tulare County: The county, which does not provide updates on weekends or holidays, posted 85 new cases Friday, 47,869 to date; 12 additional deaths, 758 to date.
