Fresno region reports most COVID infections in almost a year, as new Valley cases soar
Fresno County is experiencing its largest surge of new COVID-19 cases in almost a year, with local and state health officials reporting almost 2,400 new infections for a two-day period.
The 2,361 laboratory-confirmed cases reported Friday morning by the Fresno County Department of Public Health brings the total this week to 5,467 – the most cases to surface from testing in a single week since Jan. 16, 2021. That’s when the county, as well as the rest of the central San Joaquin Valley and California, were in the midst of a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths unrivaled at any other point in the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the first local cases of the global COVID-19 ordeal were identified nearly two years ago, more than 155,000 Fresno County residents – or more than 15% of the county’s total population – have at some point tested positive for the coronavirus. Of that total, at least 2.393 people have died from COVID-19 or its complications, including 16 new deaths that were reported Friday.
Other Valley counties also reported significant increases in new cases on Friday.
The Kings County Department of Public Health reported 282 new confirmed cases, pushing the county to 1,237 for the week. As in Fresno County, that’s the largest single-day increase since mid-January 2021, and drove the county’s total so far this week to 1,237.
In Merced County, 392 new cases were reported Friday by health officials – the most cases of any single day since the start of 2021. From Sunday through Friday, a total of 1,435 new cases have surfaced this week. With a Saturday report still due early next week, it represents the largest one-week total since late January for Merced County.
The Tulare County Department of Health & Human Services reported 188 new cases on Friday, pushing the total for the week to 1,168 – the largest weekly total since last October.
Madera County reported 191 new cases on Friday, on top of 206 on Thursday, for a total of 749 so far this week – more than any week since late January.
Sixty new cases were reported Friday in Mariposa County, pushing the week’s total to 164. That’s the most cases in a single day in the rural mountain county in the 22 months of pandemic, and the largest single weekly total as well.
For the six-county region, Friday brought 3,474 new cases, and 10,220 for the week so far.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 11:23 AM.
