MADERA — Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, capping the single-worst week for new cases since the pandemic began. Since Monday, county officials have confirmed 49 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases countywide to 155.
Testing of county residents for coronavirus has increased substantially in the past two weeks, which officials believe could account for the spike in new cases. Dozens of mountain area residents were tested recently when the County’s mobile testing lab visited Oakhurst and Bass Lake.
The mobile lab is scheduled to be in Raymond next Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and then in Coarsegold on June 16 and North Fork on June 18. Testing hours at those sites will also run from 9 a.m. to noon.
All COVID-19 tests performed by the County’s mobile testing lab are free of charge and administered on a first come, first served basis.
According to MCDPH’s latest report, the county currently has 58 active COVID-19 cases, with the majority of those individuals in home isolation. Two of Friday’s latest cases, a man and woman both in their 70s, are currently hospitalized.
More than half of the latest cases were contracted via person-to-person contact with another virus victim. One of Friday’s cases was acquired through so-called “community spread” while five other cases remain “under investigation,” according to MCDPH.
To date, 94 local virus victims have made full recoveries.
So far, the county has had three COVID-19 fatalities, including a woman in her 80s who died Monday night (June 1) at Saint Agnes Hospital.
While several Internet news sites appear to be reporting more specific geographic locations of virus victims in every U.S. county, on its website, MCDPH notes: “According to The Health Officer Practice Guide for Communicable Disease Control in California, the volume of cases currently does not allow us to report numbers of cases by geographic area while protecting the privacy of residents.”
MCDPH Director Sarah Bosse did say last week that the overall number of cases countywide is nearing the threshold for local officials to be able to begin reporting more detailed geographic information in their daily updates.
To check the most recent update from MCDPH, click here.
Meanwhile, around the Valley, new cases also are on the rise.
On Friday, Fresno County reported 66 new cases and 3 more deaths while Tulare County saw 33 new cases and but no additional deaths in the past 24 hours. Fresno County has had 2,080 cases and a total of 43 deaths. Tulare County has had 2,116 COVID-19 cases and 92 deaths.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, there were 125,086 confirmed COVID-19 cases across California, with the total number of deaths statewide now at 4,511.
Nationwide, there have been more than 1.93 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with the U.S. death toll on Friday (June 5) passing 111,000.