New COVID cases ease slightly in Fresno, Valley amid summer surge. Here’s the latest data
The pace at which new coronavirus cases are popping up in Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley in a summer surge appears to have peaked and may be on the downswing compared to two weeks ago.
Still, the number of confirmed new COVID-19 infections reported this week as of Friday remains elevated well above levels from early July, just a couple of months ago.
Through Friday, Fresno County health officials reported 2,194 new cases for the week ending Sept. 18. Depending on how many cases crop up in Saturday’s report, it will represent the second straight week with fewer cases – both in Fresno County and across neighboring Valley counties.
Across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties, health departments acknowledged more than 5,800 new cases so far this week.
The high point of this summer’s urge of cases came the week of Sept. 4, in which more than 4,000 new infections were confirmed by Fresno County health officials and more than 8,500 Valleywide. While that was well short of peak winter levels of as many as 9,500 cases per week in mid- and late December – and more than 16,000 per week Valleywide – the figures exceed the zenith of cases in the summer of 2020, just a few months into the pandemic.
In the week ending Sept. 11, there were 3,151 new cases reported in Fresno County and 6,981 Valleywide.
This week also saw 22 additional deaths blamed on COVID-19 in Fresno County and 54 across the six-county region through Friday afternoon.
Valleywide, more than 271,000 people have had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 18 months, including 3,845 to have died from the virus and the respiratory disease it causes.
Friday’s case update among Valley counties include:
Fresno County: 483 new cases on Friday, 2,194 so far this week, and 123,370 since the first confirmed infection was identified in March 2020; one additional death reported Friday, 22 so far this week, and 1,868 fatalities to date that are attributed to the coronavirus.
Kings County: 128 new cases Friday, 613 so far this week, 28,331 to date; no additional deaths Friday, five so far this week, and 279 to date.
Madera County: 60 new cases Friday, 367 so far this week, 19,849 to date; no additional deaths reported Friday, four so far this week, 258 to date.
Mariposa County: Seven new cases Friday, 78 so far this week, 967 to date; two additional deaths reported this week, 12 to date.
Merced County: 170 new cases Friday, 852 so far this week, 39,121 to date; one additional death reported Friday, 12 so far this week, and 539 to date.
Tulare County: 202 new cases Friday, 1,712 so far this week, and 59,231 to date; no additional deaths reported Friday, nine so far this week, and 889 to date.
