COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations continue to rise in Fresno County along with testing
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the central San Joaquin Valley continues to increase, and eight more deaths in the region were attributed Tuesday to the respiratory disease associated with the novel coronavirus.
Fresno County reported four additional deaths in its Tuesday afternoon update. That came hours after neighboring Tulare County also reported four deaths since Friday, when health officials had last provided information. One more death was also reported by Kings County on Tuesday evening.
In the six-county region, 118 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. Hospitals across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties were treating 139 patients for coronavirus as of Monday, according to the California Department of Public Health, including 44 hospitalized in intensive-care units.
Another 49 patients were being treated in hospitals for symptoms consistent with coronavirus disease but had not been confirmed as infected with the virus.
So far this month, 64 people have succumbed to COVID-19 in the Valley. That’s up from 50 deaths in April.
As of Tuesday, more than 4,300 residents have tested positive for infection from the virus. Of that number, about 1,650 have been deemed as recovered, either through a negative test or after emerging from isolation or quarantine free from symptoms of the disease.
Another 2,656 Valley residents remain in isolation or quarantine and are being monitored by health officials in their counties.
Cases, fatalities by county
Tuesday represented the largest one-day jump in reported cases in the Valley since the region’s first cases in the global pandemic were reported in early March. County health departments announced more than 200 cases:
▪ Fresno County: With no update Monday on the Memorial Day holiday, the county health department announced 53 new cases Tuesday, bringing the county to a total of 1,535 cases to date; the four new new fatalities raised Fresno County’s death toll to 26.
▪ Kings County: Nine new cases Tuesday, 698 in total; one new death was reported, raising the total to three in the pandemic..
▪ Madera County: five new cases Tuesday, 90 cases total; no new deaths, two deaths in total.
▪ Mariposa County: one new case Tuesday, 16 total; no new deaths, one in total.
▪ Merced County: five new cases Tuesday, 273 in total; no new deaths, seven in total.
▪ Tulare County: after three days with no update, the county announced 130 cases Tuesday, bringing its total to 1,771; the four new deaths brings the number of fatalities to 79.
With its 79 deaths, largely rural Tulare County has one of the highest rates of fatalities attributed to COVID-19 among California’s 58 counties. Tulare County’s rate works out to a rate of 16.5 deaths per 100,000 residents – far higher than any of its neighboring Valley counties, and second in California behind only Los Angeles County at 20.9 deaths per 100,000 residents.
More people tested for coronavirus
The number of people being tested continues to rise in the Valley, which is serving to boost the number of reported infections, even among people who don’t have symptoms but may be capable of passing the virus on to others. Of just over 1 million residents in Fresno County, for example, almost 20,300 tests have been conducted, according to the county’s health department. That’s just about 2% of the population.
But that’s also less than half of the testing rate statewide, which stands at more than 4.2%.
In other Valley counties, the rates are about 3.6% in Kings County, 1.3% in Madera County, 5.3% in Mariposa County, 2% in Merced County and 0.7% in Tulare County.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 5:05 PM.
