Fresno County ranked No. 1 among U.S. metro areas for COVID-19 spread, says NYT analysis
Fresno County ranks highest in the country for metro areas where the coronavirus pandemic is spreading the fastest, according to an analysis Monday from the New York Times.
The list of metro areas with 50,000 or more residents shows Fresno County’s population of 1 million at the highest spot in the top 10 list, which is populated almost exclusively by California and Texas cities. The list is adjusted for population size.
Fresno had 3,188 new COVID-19 cases a week ago but has 11,672 in the latest count, according to the analysis. That’s an increase of 849 cases per 100,000 residents.
Fresno County’s seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases started the month at 289 infections, but by Sunday had climbed to 1,667.
State officials have changed the way new coronavirus cases are reported in California, which had an effect on the surging numbers last week, according to Fresno County interim Health Officer Rais Vohra.
“There was a data backlog that is being cleared and is part of the reason we have a higher than average amount of cases,” Vohra said in a briefing with reporters on Friday. “Beyond that we are experiencing a statewide surge which is adding to the really high average of case counts.”
The metro area with the second highest spike is Salinas, where the number of cases increased by 618 per 100,000. Texas cities of Midland and Kerrville saw 600 and 570 cases per 100,000 over the past week, the list shows.
The top 10 is rounded out by Huntsville, Texas; Sonora, Calif.; Eagle Pass, Texas; Bartlesville, Okla.; and Corpus Christi, Texas.
